BOSTON (WHDH) - A 36-year-old man will be arraigned in federal court in Boston Monday after authorities say he used a hidden camera to film boys in the restrooms at Boston Latin School last year and other locations across the city.
Eric Tran Thai, 36, will be arraigned in federal court in Boston on five counts of sexual exploitation of children.
Prosecutors say on Feb. 6 and Feb. 27, 2018, two separate Boston College students reported to the police that they had been videotaped without their knowledge or consent while they were using the men’s restrooms on the Boston College campus.
Following the Feb. 27 report, police spoke with Thai, who allegedly admitted to “taking some pictures” of a man in the stall next to him without the man’s consent and said he had been doing it for about a year.
After he was placed under arrest, police searched his bag and allegedly found several covert camera devices, including fake smoke detectors, a water bottle containing a small cube recording device, and a pair of sunglasses outfitted with a built-in camera.
During a search of Thai’s home on March 1, authorities seized about 26 computer hard drives, 20 thumb drives, 27 covert and regular cameras, 14 computers, iPads, cellphones, and multiple SD and Sim cards.
During forensic analysis of the items, investigators found several folders labeled: BU, MIT, Harvard, Northeastern, Bunker Hill, Boston Latin High School, and several different malls, airports, and foreign country locations.
In the folder labeled Boston Latin High School, prosecutors say investigators found about 45 secretly-recorded videos of male students in various states of undress using the urinals and stalls in a Boston Latin High School boys’ bathroom.
The videos appear to have been created on approximately 10 separate dates between February and December 2017.
In a statement, BPS Interim Superintendent Laura Perille said, “Headmaster Skerritt and I are horrified by the allegations that were brought to our attention by law enforcement. Safety is always our top priority, and we strive every day to make sure our students are learning and thriving in safe, welcoming, and supportive schools. These alleged acts represent a major violation to the student victims, along with the entire Boston Latin School community. Our primary concern is to provide any and all support to the victims of this disturbing situation.”
Thai is also accused of secretly recording individuals in numerous public restroom locations throughout greater Boston and elsewhere.
Members of the public who have questions, concerns, or information about this case should contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 617-748-3274.
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