Rancho Palos Verdes City Inspector Arrested for Secretly Recording People in Public Bathroom

Rancho Palos VerdesOne of the luxuries of living in the land of the free and the home of the brave is the fact that our American society grants us the cultural right of having solitude while going to the bathroom. We take for granted the fact that we get to lock the door behind us to ensure our privacy. As that stall door shuts behind us, the last thing we expect to worry about is being watched while we are sitting on the ‘porcelain throne.’

But crime has no bounds and it is often the quiet crimes that rock neighborhoods otherwise deemed safe.

The affluent south bay city of Rancho Palos Verdes is the last place you would imagine a municipal employee breaking the law. This beautiful peninsula enclave is the home of private horse stables, Mediterranean style estates with sweeping Pacific Ocean views, and a wild muster of roaming peacocks- certainly a far cry from L.A.’s most infamous neighborhoods.

Building inspector Andrew James Jensen was arrested on September 25, 2018, and charged with a whopping 89 counts of Criminal Invasion of Privacy.  This was after Jensen’s quarter sized spy camera was discovered by a co-worker under a tampon dispenser in a unisex employee bathroom at Rancho Palos Verdes City Hall. Jensen also placed a camera in a nearby Starbucks to secretly record a total of 63 women and 23 men over a 3-week period between both locations over the summer.

Under California Penal Code 647(j) it is a misdemeanor to violate another person’s privacy by secretly recording someone in a private room in order to view that person’s body or undergarments.

Penalties for violating someone’s privacy can be punishable with up to 6 months in county jail and/or a fine of $1,000

With the plethora of misdemeanor counts in this case, Jensen will most likely face serious jail time and hefty fines since subsequent infractions have increased penalties including a minimum of 1 year in county jail and a minimum fine of $2,000. This misdemeanor crime could also be punishable by probation in lieu of jail time.

If you or someone you know has been falsely charged with criminal invasion of privacy, contact us 24 hours a day at (310) 448-1529 or contact us online to schedule a consultation. Our office is conveniently located in the Westside Towers in Los Angeles, within minutes of Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Westwood, and steps away from the Expo/Bundy Station. We have flexible hours and weekend appointments, and we will visit you in jail to discuss your case.

Write a Reply or Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.