Maples
A Greenwood man is accused of secretly recording a woman in a bathroom, prosecutors say.
Robert Earl Maples, 75, is charged with voyeurism by use of a camera, a Level 6 felony. He was booked into the Johnson County jail on a warrant Wednesday.
Greenwood Police began an investigation into the voyeurism in April 2023 after a woman reported that she found a camera in a home’s bathroom while reorganizing it. She saw what looked like a camera attached to the bottom of a counter-top, which was connected to a hard drive hidden under a sink. She took photos of the setup and brought the images to police, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Johnson Circuit Court on June 21.
The woman told police she believed the camera had recorded her for several months. She confronted Maples about the camera, and he reportedly sent text messages apologizing. The messages didn’t specify what he was apologizing for, the affidavit says.
Police obtained a search warrant for the home in September 2023. Maples spoke with officers during the search, saying he had installed the cameras in the bathroom for security. He did not have an explanation as to why there weren’t cameras anywhere else in the home, according to the affidavit.
Maples also didn’t want any problems from the woman, he said. He told police the cameras didn’t work well and believed he already threw them away. There were no cameras placed in any of the other bathrooms, the affidavit says.
Four computer towers, a laptop, a cell phone and several hard drives and thumb drives were seized during the search — including hard drives that matched those seen in the pictures provided by the woman. Officers also observed holes drilled into the bathroom cabinet and glue residue from where cameras were found, according to the affidavit.
Maples was cooperative during the search and provided passwords for the devices, according to the affidavit.
The Greenwood Fire Department was called to the scene during the search, however, as a gas leak was discovered. It was rendered safe, the affidavit says.
A forensic exam on the devices recovered found one storage drive that had evidence related to the voyeurism complaint. There were thumbnails of the woman nude in the bathroom after the shower, the affidavit shows.
Non-emergency help dealing with sexual assault resources is available at Franklin-based ASSIST Indiana at 317-739-4456. For a complete list of resources from the Indiana Coalition to End Sexual Assault and Human Trafficking, visit icesaht.org/get-help/. For emergency help dealing with sexual assault call or text 911.
