A Sheridan man, previously convicted for voyeurism, faces new charges after an incident at a Westfield hotel. James Verhines, 43, has been accused of attempting to record a woman in the restroom of the Springfield Suites, reported WRTV. Court documents state the woman screamed and confronted Verhines who then fled the scene.
Verhines' encounter with the law on such matters dates back two decades with a 2000 conviction in Marion County and a most recent one in 2023 in Johnson County, as detailed by WTHR, following which he was sentenced to probation. This time around, Hamilton County prosecutors have charged him with a felony count of voyeurism involving the use of a camera, and another for having a prior conviction, as well as a misdemeanor count of voyeurism.
The Westfield Police utilized hotel surveillance footage to distribute stills on social media, aiding in swiftly identifying the suspect, Verhines, as mentioned in both WRTV and WTHR reports. Under questioning, Verhines initially denied the allegations but later conceded he did enter the restroom, and he was looking for "a little action," according to court documents obtained by WTHR.
In March, before the recent accusations, Verhines had pleaded guilty to a separate charge of voyeurism, as acknowledged by Fox59, his second conviction for a similar offense demonstrating a troubling pattern of repeat behavior; these charges in Hamilton County mark yet another legal battle for Verhines, who now faces the possibility of more severe penalties if convicted of the new allegations placed against him.
