Dorm life at East Carolina University has been rattled after a 21-year-old student from Henderson was charged in connection with multiple secret-peeping incidents reported in campus residence halls this month. Authorities say the incidents took place inside three different dorms and allege the student also trespassed by entering residence halls without permission. The student has been banned from campus, made a court appearance on Wednesday, and was released on a $35,000 bond. Campus police are urging anyone who thinks they may have been targeted to speak up.
The case first drew wider attention after an incident at Cotten Hall earlier in March, when a student getting ready to shower reportedly spotted a hand holding a cellphone near his feet. The person believed to be the peeper ran off but was later stopped, and ECU police opened an investigation into that episode, according to WITN.
Charges and court appearance
Campus police identified the suspect as 21-year-old Ashton Michael Boone of Henderson and say he is accused of multiple secret-peeping incidents this month in three different residence halls, according to ABC11. Boone is charged with secret peeping and trespassing for allegedly entering residence halls without authorization. He has been banned from campus, appeared in court on Wednesday, and was released from jail after posting a $35,000 bond.
State law and possible penalties
North Carolina law treats this kind of conduct as more than just creepy behavior. The secret-peeping statute, G.S. 14-202, makes it a crime to secretly watch someone in private spaces such as bathrooms or showers and specifies that using a device to create photographic images during that conduct can be charged as a felony, according to the North Carolina General Assembly. The statute also lets courts weigh whether a defendant poses a danger to the community and, in some situations, order sex-offender registration.
Police appeal and next steps
Deputy Chief Chris Sutton is asking anyone who thinks they might have been involved in a similar incident to contact investigators so they can determine whether additional reports are linked to the current case. He told ABC11, "If there are any individuals that have been a victim of this from today to the past, I would recommend that they come forward so they can provide us with the information so that we can see if it's related to these incidents that we've been investigating." ECU police are asking anyone with information, whether victims or witnesses, to call the department at (252) 328-6787.
Campus resources
ECU's Campus Living and public safety offices provide reporting avenues and support services for students in residence halls. Details about residence-hall services are available through ECU Housing Services. The ECU Police Department also maintains online preparedness and reporting resources and can be reached 24/7 at (252) 328-6787, according to the university's public safety information.
