BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — UPDATE: Officers with the Bakersfield Police Department were dispatched to Ridgeview High where a student reported being a victim of an invasion of privacy on Thursday, January 3.
Investigators learned that over the course of several months, a 17-year-old juvenile was secretly recording other male students who were utilizing the restroom and locker facilities on campus. Detectives have identified numerous potential victims and are in the process of contacting them.
The suspect was booked into Juvenile Hall on Friday for multiple counts of invasion of privacy.
Anyone with information regarding the investigation is asked to call Detective Glen Phippen at (661) 326-3810 or BPD at (661) 327-7111.
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A Ridgeview High School student says he and other boys at the school were filmed while going to the bathroom and undressing in the locker room at the school, according to court documents.
A 17-year-old boy reported to Bakersfield Police that he and a group of friends were at his home watching a movie on Friday, December 28th. He said when he went to use the bathroom at his home, he noticed one of his friend's bags on the restroom counter, documents said.
The teen said the bag was positioned suspiciously and had a feeling he was being watched.
He said he checked the bag and saw an Apple Ipod in the bag facing him and noticed it was recording. He stopped the recording, then played it back and said he observed his friend on the video setting up the Ipod and facing it toward the toilet, according to documents.
On the video, the teen told police he watched himself enter the bathroom and begin to urinate, at which point he could see his genitals exposed.
He stated he confronted his friend, who is also 17 years old and attends Ridgeview High. The friend told him he set up the recording device to "make his girlfriend jealous."
The teen said he kept the Ipod and went back and saw that there were more videos, which dated back to one year. He said several of the other videos included him urinating or in different stages of him undressing at his home and also in the locker room and bathroom at Ridgeview High School.
The teen said other of his male friends and students were in the recordings, which also showed their genitals and some of them undressing.
He told police he believes the other 17-year-old is sending out the videos, possibly on social media.
The teen said he reported the incident to his parents and also to staff at Ridgeview High.
The Kern High School District has released a statement regarding the incident.
The Kern High School District was shocked and disturbed to learn of allegations that some students have been surreptitiously videotaped at Ridgeview High School while in certain locations on campus. The Ridgeview High School administration immediately contacted law enforcement upon learning of these allegations and has been fully cooperating with law enforcement as they investigate. Our thoughts are with our students and the entire Ridgeview community.
These allegations are very troubling and we understand that there are questions and concerns. However, the District is unable to provide further details because it is obligated to protect the privacy and due process rights of the students and to not compromise the integrity of law enforcement’s ongoing investigation. If you have additional information about this case, please contact the Bakersfield Police Department.
