'Absolute betrayal': Lifeguards speak out against California parks official accused of secretly filming them

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Set us as preferred A former California state parks officer accused of secretly recording nearly two dozen men, some of whom were minors at the time, inside an employee locker room made his first court appearance Thursday morning.Kevin Pearsall, 59, of Long Beach, faces five felony counts of eavesdropping, 23 misdemeanor counts of secretly filming another and three misdemeanor counts of unlawful dissemination of private recordings.

He faces a maximum sentence of 18 years and eight months in jail.Pearsall appeared Thursday at the Westminster courthouse and was scheduled to be arraigned, but his arraignment was continued until Sept.21.

He remained out of custody as of Thursday.Two of Pearsall’s alleged victims attended the hearing and, afterward, expressed feeling hurt.The secret recordings took place at the Bolsa Chica State Beach Lifeguard Headquarters and continued for 11 months beginning August 2024, according to the Orange County district attorney’s office.

California A San Luis Obispo County man has been charged with 12 misdemeanor counts of invasion of privacy after prosecutors say he secretly recorded nude women while they were inside tanning booths at a fitness center.The cameras may have been installed as far back as 2019, and captured images of seasonal lifeguards, including teens as young as 15, according to the lawsuit.Pearsall is also accused of distributing the images to his friends.

The locker room is accessible only to full-time personnel, seasonal lifeguards, office staff, maintenance personnel and park aides, according to prosecutors.Attorney Mark Peacock, who represents seven of the lifeguards who were allegedly abused, four of whom are still minors, said he and his clients were disappointed that Pearsall wasn’t arraigned Thursday.“Naturally there is an avalanche of emotions, not only for them bu...