Sanjai Syamaprasad, a former Long Island sleep center employee, is scheduled for sentencing after pleading guilty to secretly recording patients and coworkers. CBS News reports that prosecutors seized over 300 videos showing body parts of hundreds of individuals, though charges were filed for crimes involving only five victims, including one child.
The privacy violations came to light last year when Syamaprasad was caught watching the footage at work. While probation was initially expected, Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly argued the case "deserved jail time." She told WKTV, "It was night after night after night, victim after victim after victim."
Syamaprasad, a Brooklyn father, carried out the secret recordings by placing Velcro dots in nine bathrooms at the Northwell Sleep Disorders and STARS Rehabilitation Center in Manhasset. These dots held a hidden camera disguised as a smoke detector, allowing him to record people without their knowledge.
After his actions were uncovered, Syamaprasad was fired from his position. In addition to possible jail time, he is expected to be required to register as a sex offender. The case has raised concern among the public and medical professionals, as it violated the trust placed in healthcare facilities as safe spaces.
