Principal Charged After Custodian Finds Camera Pen

A Custodian Thought It Was an Ink Pen

A Brooke High School custodian picked up what looked like an ink pen in a girls’ changing area, then realized it was a recording device. That discovery triggered a police search, the recovery of four devices and felony charges against the school’s principal, Eric James.

James, 53, was arrested Sept. 3 in Wellsburg, West Virginia, according to People and local station WDTV. Authorities said he faces one count of intentionally intercepting electronic communications and two counts of breaking and entering a nonresidence.

The case involves areas where female students changed clothes, so the identities and privacy of the students are especially important. No student names are included in the approved reporting used for this article.

The First Device Led to a Wider Search

Brooke County Sheriff Richard Beatty said the custodian initially believed the object was an ordinary pen. After examining it later, the employee realized it could record video and brought it to the sheriff’s office.

Investigators then searched areas of Brooke High School and the nearby middle school campus. Authorities ultimately said four recording devices were found in girls’ locker-room and changing areas, including spaces used for physical education and the dance team.

The sheriff’s office said one device was pen-shaped and another resembled a key fob. Those ordinary-looking objects are now central pieces of evidence in the criminal investigation.

Authorities Said Video Connected the Principal to a Device

WDTV reported that investigators reviewed material from the pen-shaped device and said it showed James placing or adjusting it. The station also reported that James admitted to police that he had placed devices in the school.

Those statements are part of the prosecution’s evidence, but the criminal charges have not been adjudicated. James is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless he is convicted.

Officials have not publicly released the students’ identities, and the details of any recordings should remain limited to what is necessary to explain the case. The alleged violation of privacy is the central issue, not the content of the footage.

School Officials Met With Families

The Brooke County school system suspended James and said it was cooperating with law enforcement. Officials also met with parents and students as the investigation continued.

Four Devices Were Found in Two Changing Areas

People reported that investigators found two devices in an area used by the dance team, one in the girls’ varsity locker room and another in the girls’ physical-education locker room. Authorities said at least one device was disguised as a pen and another resembled a key fob.

The first discovery was made Sept. 2 while the custodian was cleaning. Sheriff Richard Beatty said the employee soon realized the object could record video and took it to law enforcement, prompting investigators to sweep the school for additional devices and documented the locations of all four devices.

James faces three felony counts: two counts of breaking and entering a nonresidence and one count related to intentionally intercepting or attempting to intercept electronic communications. The counts are allegations and do not establish guilt.

People reported that James was being held on a $100,000 bond and had a preliminary hearing scheduled for Sept. 14. The sheriff said the investigation remained active.

A school locker room is a place where students reasonably expect privacy. In this case, the investigation began because one employee noticed that an object did not belong and took the time to determine what it was.

That small discovery now sits at the center of a criminal case involving the person who had been responsible for leading the school.

References: High School Principal Charged After ‘Pen-Shaped’ Recording Device Was Found in Girls’ Changing Area | UPDATE: More details released after high school principal arrested for hidden cameras found in girls’ locker room

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