A 33-year-old employee of the New York Athletic Club has been charged with hiding recording devices inside restrooms at the club's Pelham campus, capturing footage that police say includes children, before fleeing the state and eventually being tracked down in Kansas. Ryan Mack was arraigned in New Rochelle City Court on Wednesday, more than a month after the cameras were first discovered.
According to News 12 New York, the New York Athletic Club is located at 31 Shore Road in Pelham, Westchester County, sitting right on the border between Westchester and the Bronx. Police say Mack positioned hidden recording devices to capture people using the restroom, planting one camera in the Platform Tennis Hut West restroom and a second in the men's tennis locker room. Detectives later discovered footage on both devices: the first camera captured video on June 19, July 4 and July 5, while the second contained footage from June 21, July 2 and July 3.
The club discovered the hidden device inside its restroom and immediately alerted the New Rochelle Police Department on Sunday, July 5, according to Daily Voice. Police say Mack fled New York State after the cameras were discovered, and he was arrested in Kansas in mid-July. The Westchester County Police Department's Warrant Fugitive Unit brought him back to New Rochelle on August 12, ahead of his Wednesday court appearance.
A Month-Long Manhunt Ends in Extradition
Mack was originally arraigned on July 15 before Judge Michelle Bernstein in New Rochelle City Court, where an arrest warrant was issued that ultimately led to his apprehension out of state, according to Talk of the Sound. Mack, who lives in West Nyack, was born in 1993. Following his extradition, he returned to court on Wednesday, where Judge Bernstein issued a temporary order of protection against him and released him on his own recognizance pending an August 27 court date, the outlet reports.
Mack is represented by the Legal Aid Society of Westchester County, while the case is being prosecuted by the New Rochelle bureau of the Westchester County District Attorney's Office, per the same account. The New Rochelle Police Department has charged him with second-degree unlawful surveillance, a felony. Police say they have identified multiple victims, including children.
What the Felony Charge Could Mean
Second-degree unlawful surveillance under New York Penal Law § 250.45 is classified as a Class E felony carrying a potential sentence of up to four years in prison, according to attorney Julie Rendelman. A conviction under subdivision two of that statute can also legally require a defendant to register as a sex offender under New York's Sex Offender Registration Act, according to Saland Law PC. Because identified victims include minors, the club's potential legal exposure could extend beyond the criminal case into civil privacy litigation, as noted by News 12 New York.
As of publication, the New York Athletic Club had provided no statement to News 12, though the outlet said it reached out to the club for comment. The club's Travers Island facility in Pelham Manor spans 30 to 33 acres along Long Island Sound and includes tennis courts, a yacht club, a rowing house and a saltwater swimming pool, according to background compiled on Wikipedia. Founded in 1868, the invitation-only club has roughly 8,600 members and also operates a 24-story City House on Central Park South in Manhattan.
Police Seek Additional Victims
Detectives are asking anyone who used the affected restrooms between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. on the listed dates to come forward. Potential victims may contact Detective Marisa Bird at (914) 654-2367, and anyone with additional information is urged to contact New Rochelle police.
This case joins a string of recent hidden-camera prosecutions across the state. In May, a wellness center owner in Rockville Centre was arrested after a customer spotted a hidden recording device in a massage therapy room, a case Hoodline previously reported, and in April a Manhattan Supreme Court judge sentenced a defendant to 30 days in jail and five years of probation after a guilty plea to seven felony counts of unlawful surveillance for secretly recording victims over several years. As with any pending case, the charges against Mack remain allegations, and formal criminal complaints tied to the investigation are still subject to open records requests.
