Hayes
A Franklin man is accused of placing covert recording devices in a woman’s Bluetooth speaker.
Christopher Patrick Hayes, 36, is charged with two counts of voyeurism, both as a Level 6 felony and a Class B misdemeanor.
Detectives with the Franklin Police Department began investigating Hayes in June after a witness told police they had learned that Hayes had allegedly altered a Bluetooth speaker to have a hidden camera inside a bedroom. The speaker had been used for a number of years before it was given to a woman. The woman had used it in her bedroom, in the bathroom and at another person’s house, according to a probable cause affidavit filed on Oct. 26 in Johnson County Circuit Court.
After noticing the speaker was having interference issues, the witness looked at the speaker and found the hidden camera. The witness set up, with the woman’s permission, hidden cameras around the room. These cameras reportedly captured Hayes going through the woman’s underwear drawer while naked and handling the Bluetooth speaker, the affidavit shows.
The witness told police about other concerns she had that she believed were connected to Hayes. These included hidden cameras in another room, more hidden cameras found in the woman’s bedroom and Hayes’ search history showing spy camera searches and searches involving voyeurism, according to the affidavit.
Other concerns include people being told not the close the bedroom door because it made “too much noise” with the air, “purposeful destruction” of bedroom doors and the woman finding a sex toy in a bag, the affidavit shows.
The woman told police she was upset when she learned about Hayes’ alleged actions. He would also reportedly buy her underwear and place it in a drawer but it would disappear after a day or so.
The witness later told police they believed there could be more recording devices in the house and that there could also be tracking devices in their car. They recalled an incident where Hayes reportedly showed up at a hotel they were at when they had their location turned off and him blocked, according to the affidavit.
There also was an instance where they got a notification saying there was an Apple AirTag nearby, and were concerned Hayes was tracking them, the affidavit shows.
When detectives interviewed Hayes, he said he had found recording devices that he believed the witness had set up. He initially denied that he set up any devices, but later said that he had set up a camera in the Bluetooth speaker in an attempt to catch the woman vaping. He was concerned the vaping was causing higher levels of lead to appear in another resident’s blood, according to the affidavit.
Hayes later said that at no time were there any recordings retained by him from the camera, other than a clip of the woman vaping, the affidavit says.
Hayes was also asked about an incident where he was observed looking through a crack of a door frame while the woman was in the room. He allegedly said it was sexual in nature and police say he appeared “shameful” about his actions. Later, he reportedly admitted to buying underwear for the woman and placing it a drawer, according to the affidavit.
Police also searched the home for devices, finding storage cards, cameras, AirTags, computers and a covert camera instructional manual. They also found a bag of tapes and women’s underwear, the affidavit shows.
Detectives found a video of the vaping Hayes referenced, but did not find any signs of anything illegal as of July, the affidavit says.
An initial hearing has not yet been set.
