A women’s college soccer player noticed a man hiding in the ceiling of her team’s locker room, leading to his arrest on a slew of charges, according to police.
Jayson Barker is facing 11 counts of voyeurism following the athlete’s discovery at Wilmington College in Ohio, the Wilmington Police department said in a news release issued Thursday, September 24.
Barker, a contracted Wilmington College employee who worked as a janitor, is accused of taking photos of several members of the women’s soccer team as they changed in the locker room.
The alleged voyeurism was reported on Tuesday, September 22, when police said they responded to the college’s Scheve Athletic Center and discovered campus safety personnel in the process of detaining Barker.
Campus safety officials told officers that 11 female soccer players had been getting changed inside the locker room when a phone appeared from the ceiling, according to an affidavit obtained by WXIX-TV.
They noticed a flash coming from the device being held by an individual ultimately identified as Barker, per the filing.
Barker allegedly told police that he had been reading the Bible on his phone, not taking photos, while inside what was described as a drop ceiling, according to the TV station. He also claimed he occasionally went into the ceiling to read during work.
Wilmington Detective Matt Hamilton told WLWT that Barker “climbed up and was able to push the ceiling tile.”
In a statement to the TV station, Wilmington College said, “The College’s paramount concern is the safety and well-being of its students.”
“We have been providing counseling and other support services for the affected students since Tuesday night and are taking measures to ensure that no student’s safety or well-being is compromised,” the statement added. “Also, the College continues to assist with law enforcement’s investigation.”
Barker was booked at the Clinton County Jail, where he was held on a $22,000 cash/surety bond, according to police.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether he retained legal representation.
He is due to appear in court on October 5.
In the meantime, the investigation into the alleged voyeurism is ongoing.
“Investigators are reviewing potential evidence to determine whether additional criminal charges are warranted,” police said. “Because this remains an active investigation, additional information may be released as appropriate.”
Wilmington College is a private, small liberal arts school located about a 50-mile drive northeast from Cincinnati.
