An Austin woman has accused a former Sandbox VR employee of surreptitiously recording under her skirt at the company's virtual reality gaming venue located in The Domain, North Austin. The incident was captured on surveillance footage, which showed the employee placing a phone under the woman's skirt last Saturday, October 5, between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. According to a CBS Austin report, the Austin Police Department's Sex Crimes Unit is currently investigating the case.
The victim, Olivia Howell, informed CBS Austin that, immersed in the virtual reality experience with headsets and goggles, she only discovered the invasion of her privacy after the session, while reviewing the footage. Howell stated, "It should have never happened even like it just should never happen in a workplace and for him to be very brave and do it while he knows the cameras are recording is diabolical behavior." Wearing a headset, she confronted the former employee after the incident, who, after being caught, deleted the photos from his phone.
Sandbox VR has since cut ties with the accused individual and claims it is fully cooperating with authorities in the investigation. In a statement to KVUE, Sandbox VR asserted that such alleged behavior is "entirely unacceptable and goes against everything Sandbox VR stands for." They added a commitment to ensuring "a safe, respectful, and enjoyable environment for all our guests." No arrests have been made at the time of this report.
