An Iowa man has been arrested and faces more than 90 charges after authorities say he installed hidden cameras inside portable toilets at two Iowa locations, recording dozens of adults and children.
According to a Marshall County Sheriff’s Office news release, deputies were dispatched to Lincoln Valley Golf Course in State Center, Iowa, on Sept. 23 for reports of a concealed camera found in a porta-potty during a cross-country meet hosted by West Marshall Community School District.
The meet included male and female participants from multiple districts, ranging from middle to high school.
Several students alerted police to the device, which was removed and turned over to investigators.
Officials immediately notified school leaders and began reviewing surveillance video and interviewing witnesses.
Investigators quickly began seeking a suspect.
On Oct. 6, Marshall County investigators learned Des Moines police were handling a similar case believed to involve the same suspect.
On Oct. 14, both agencies received digital results identifying 32-year-old Tyler Pavlick of Des Moines as the suspect.
A Des Moines man already facing charges for allegedly hiding a camera in a portable toilet during an event at Water Works Park now faces nearly 90 more for a similar incident last month at a cross country meet in Marshall County.
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He was arrested the next day after search warrants were executed at his apartment.
According to WHO-TV, Pavlick was charged with seven counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and three counts of invasion of privacy in the Des Moines case, tied to a hidden camera found Oct. 4 at another event.
Police said the camera was placed in the bowl of a porta-potty and angled to capture users’ faces and activity inside.
Dozens of adults and children were recorded, according to police.
Investigators later charged Pavlick with 88 counts linked to the Marshall County case, including 35 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, one count of promoting film of exploitation, and 52 counts of invasion of privacy.
The videos recovered from the camera were said to have shown images of “minor children and adults in states of nudity.”
The Marshall County Sheriff’s Office has asked anyone who used the portable toilet near the starting line between 3:30 and 4:40 p.m. during the Sept. 23 meet to contact them.
Pavlick was held in the Polk County Jail on a $100,000 cash bond.
His preliminary hearing is set for Oct. 27.
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