A camera hidden beneath a dressing-room bench at an Old Navy outside Charlotte has unraveled into a far bigger case, with investigators saying they uncovered more than 200 videos allegedly recorded with hidden cameras inside a Charlotte residence. The man accused, 25-year-old Dylan Keanu Hampton, now faces multiple felony secret-peeping charges.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department investigation began after employees at the Old Navy store at Charlotte Premium Outlets found a black camera underneath a dressing room bench after the store closed on Oct. 11, according to WSOC-TV. Investigators said surveillance footage from that day showed the person identified as Hampton inside the store for more than two hours, and employees told police most of that time was spent in the dressing room.
That discovery wasn't the first time Hampton had allegedly been connected to a dressing room at an Old Navy location. One warrant accuses him of secretly peeping into an occupied Old Navy dressing room at SouthPark Mall back in July, per the same account. He was arrested later in October, and investigators say the case has since widened considerably.
Three Cameras, More Than 200 Videos
Investigators said the videos were apparently recorded using three cameras — two installed in a bedroom and another described by the station as being in a bathroom. A separate report from Yahoo described the third device as a basement camera rather than one placed in a bathroom, and the exact location has not been independently confirmed. Some of the videos allegedly showed a woman partially or fully nude, and investigators said Hampton appears in some of the footage installing, testing or checking the devices.
The discovery of more than 200 videos at the residence widened the investigation.
Old Navy's Response Still Pending
Channel 9 reached out to Old Navy management to ask what safety measures the retailer is taking in the wake of the incident and said it plans to provide an update once it hears back. The question echoes a broader, long-running concern about hidden cameras in retail fitting rooms. A 2015 report from 14NEWS found that a Florida-based CCTV equipment company had sold camera equipment to stores across all 50 states and 85 countries.
That same 2015 report noted that a National Retail Federation survey found stores lost $1 out of every $100 of inventory to shrinkage, a figure connected to efforts to combat theft.
A Pattern Seen Beyond Retail
Hidden-camera cases have surfaced in other settings as well. WSOC-TV separately reported that a former Royal Caribbean passenger sued the cruise line, alleging it could have done more to protect passengers after she found a camera inside her room's bathroom on the Symphony of the Seas, which led to the arrest of stateroom attendant Arvin Mirasol.
Law enforcement officials recommend that people watch for a red blinking light that could indicate a hidden camera and monitor nearby devices in their phone's Wi-Fi settings for a possible camera signal. Hidden camera lens detectors are also available to buy online for anyone concerned about being secretly recorded in a private space.
