A Gwinnett County man already on Georgia's sex offender registry is back behind bars after a woman told police he followed her into a gas station restroom and peered over a stall while she changed clothes. She screamed, ran out to an officer who happened to be outside, and investigators later say the store's surveillance video helped them pin down a suspect. Officers obtained a warrant and took the man into custody, booking him into the county jail.
According to Gwinnett County police, the woman was in the large stall at a QT on Buford Drive near Buford on May 25 when she suddenly saw a man’s face appear over the partition and yelled for help. MPO Brock Marks told WSB‑TV, “A male had followed her into the restroom and actually peered over the bathroom stalls while she was actively changing clothes.” Investigators say QT surveillance footage backs up her account, showing the man trailing her and walking out just seconds after she left.
Detectives identified the suspect as Eugene Pauldo, then secured a warrant and booked him into Gwinnett County Jail on June 9. He is now facing a felony peeping Tom charge, a probation violation and drug charges. As part of the investigation, officers say they also spoke with him by phone, according to WSB‑TV.
Registry history
State records list Pauldo on the sex offender registry, and public entries trace back to an earlier lewd or lascivious conviction, per the Georgia Sex Offender Registry. Local compilations that pull from those listings also show his name and prior offense details, as noted by North Gwinnett News and public offender databases.
Legal implications
Under Georgia law, the crime of “Peeping Tom” covers entering or lingering on someone else’s premises in order to spy on them, with prosecutions focusing on whether there was an intent to invade a person’s privacy. The offense is codified in OCGA § 16-11-61, as outlined by Justia, which has guided related case law and sentencing.
Police advice and community reaction
Gwinnett County officers are using the case as a reminder for shoppers to stay alert in public spaces and, when possible, to visit stores with a companion. Neighbors and customers who frequent the QT said the arrest tracks with long running worries about restroom privacy and has renewed their calls for people to pay attention to what is happening around them.
