Police issue toilet warning

by Kelly Makiha kelly.makiha@dailypost.co.nz
Police are today warning people using public toilets in Rotorua to check for spying equipment as a detective begins investigating a hidden camera found in a Starbucks restroom.



As first revealed in the Weekend Edition of The Daily Post, the Sony Handycam was found by staff at the coffee shop in central Rotorua on Wednesday last week.

It contained graphic footage of three people using the toilet.

The camera appears to have been planted by a member of the public who tried to conceal it by using a toilet brush holder and wrapping it in a black plastic bag.

Footage on the camera also shows a man suspected of planting it there leaving the room.

Rotorua police are now investigating the disturbing discovery.

Rotorua police area commander Inspector Bruce Horne said people should not be alarmed but those using public toilets should have a "quick look around" for any cameras.

"But I wouldn't sit there paranoid that they are being watched.

"This sort of behaviour is not common and it's certainly the first I have heard of it occurring in Rotorua."

Fixed on a small tripod, the camera was discovered by a Starbucks staff member not long after it had been turned on. It had recorded for about five minutes.

The suspect is described as being in his mid-20s, of Asian descent and about 174cm tall. He was of thin build, had short black hair and wore glasses.

Starbucks area manager Thomas Cox took the camera to the Rotorua police station last Wednesday.

Mr Cox said he was told by a police officer at the front counter there was nothing the police could do and that he should ring 111 if the man returned looking for his camera.

However, Mr Horne said the officer told Mr Cox to return in 30 minutes as lodging the complaint would take a while and he was dealing with two other members of the public at the time.

Mr Cox said yesterday a CIB detective was now investigating the discovery and he did not want to give the police "a hard time" because they were busy.



Mr Horne said "sexual deviants" frequenting public toilets had long been a problem.

When he joined the police 28 years ago, such offenders used to put mirrors on their shoes and poke them under toilet doors.

"Video cameras are relatively new.

"But now with video cameras being cheaper and easy to access, this is something people need to be aware of."

Mr Horne said the Starbucks incident wasn't as technical as "pinhole cameras", which were almost impossible to detect.