A routine bathroom break at Schaumburg’s Woodfield Mall turned into a criminal case Friday night, after police say a 54-year-old Rolling Meadows man used his cellphone to secretly record a boy in a restroom stall.
Officers were called to the mall around 8:30 p.m., where they investigated and took the man into custody, according to Schaumburg police. The suspect is accused of filming the boy while he was urinating in a stall, and authorities say the incident happened inside a Woodfield Mall bathroom.
Police identified the suspect as 54-year-old Samuel Nutt of Rolling Meadows. He is charged with one felony count of unauthorized videotaping of a minor, according to FOX 32 Chicago. Nutt had a detention hearing on Monday and is scheduled to appear again at the Rolling Meadows Courthouse on July 24.
What the law says
Illinois law makes it a crime to record someone in a restroom without that person’s consent. The same statute also bans placing recording devices in prohibited locations or sharing footage captured there.
The relevant law, 720 ILCS 5/26-4, specifies that violations involving restrooms are usually charged as a Class 4 felony. The charge can be elevated to a Class 3 felony when the victim is under 18. The full statute is available from the Illinois General Assembly.
What remains unclear
Police have not released the boy’s exact age or additional details about how the alleged recording took place inside the bathroom. Officials have also not said whether any other potential victims have been identified.
Nutt’s next court appearance is set for July 24 at the Rolling Meadows Courthouse, according to FOX 32 Chicago.
