A 35-year-old Chesapeake massage therapist is facing 218 misdemeanor charges after investigators say he secretly recorded female clients during sessions, with officials identifying approximately 60 victims so far. Erik Christian Sorto was taken into custody on Nov. 6 without incident, and he was expected to appear in court Thursday morning for a bond hearing.
Detectives Say Dozens of Clients Were Secretly Filmed
According to WAVY, detectives with the Chesapeake Police Department's Criminal Investigations Section obtained 218 misdemeanor warrants against Sorto. Investigators allege he recorded female clients during massage sessions without their knowledge or consent, and the station reports that officials have identified approximately 60 victims in connection with the investigation. Sorto now faces 218 counts of unlawful creation of a videographic or still image of another person.
The station's report notes Sorto was taken into custody without incident earlier this month, and his court appearance for a bond hearing was scheduled for Thursday morning. It is unclear what prompted the investigation or how detectives identified the alleged victims, and no further details on the recording methods, locations, or timeline have been made public.
Virginia Law Addresses Nonconsensual Recordings
Virginia law, under Virginia Code § 18.2-386.1, makes it unlawful to knowingly and intentionally create a videographic or still image of a nonconsenting person under specified circumstances, including when that person is totally nude, clad in undergarments, or undressed so as to expose certain areas of the body.
A Second Chesapeake Case Involving Hidden Recordings
Sorto's case is not the only recent Chesapeake investigation involving allegations of secret recordings. Per the same outlet's earlier coverage, Chesapeake Police arrested Jeffery Curtis Leffel on June 17 after a hidden recording device was discovered in a restroom; he has since bonded out. Leffel had been an employee with Sentara for nine years, and police said anyone who used single-occupant restrooms at the Sentara facility between December 2021 and May 2025 may be a potential victim.
According to court documents cited in that report, Leffel told investigators he placed his work phone to record people using the restroom and said he had been doing so for years. The two cases are separate investigations and do not establish a broader local trend, but both remain active as Chesapeake authorities continue working through the allegations.
