WAUKESHA — A 21-year-old swim instructor has been turned over to Waukesha Police after a hidden camera was found in the Swimtastic Swim School's employee locker room.
Police say shortly after 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, a 17-year-old swim instructor noticed a hole in a Kleenex box sitting on a shelf in the locker room. She later found a camera inside the Kleenex box.
The Waukesha Police Department says she told a 21-year-old male instructor about it, who went into the room and told her he destroyed the camera. Police say he then fled the business before police got there.
West Milwaukee police located the 21-year-old and turned him over to Waukesha police before executing a search warrant on his home to find the camera. The man later confessed to using his personal phone as a camera and discarding it at Swimtastic.
Staff located the phone and handed it over to police, who are continuing a forensic investigation of the phone.
Police say the camera was only used in the employee changing room. No clients of Swimtastic were subjects of this crime.
A similar event happened in October, 2013.
Michael Coyle, a swim coach, was caught installing a camera in an employee bathroom. TODAY'S TMJ4 reported that Coyle recorded a 16-year-old and 18-year-old changing.
The swimming school released the following statement:
"I received an update from the Waukesha Police Department that we want to share with our swim students and families. We are saddened to learn that evidence has been discovered implicating one of our employees tied to hiding a camera in the employee-only dressing room. It is our understanding that charges are being pressed, victims have been notified, and we are continuing to give our full cooperation in the police investigation. Our deepest sympathies are with the individuals affected by that employee’s disturbing actions. Detectives confirm that their investigation is revealing that no clients of Swimtastic were the subject of this incident. It is our promise to our team of instructors and clients and their families that we will take every measure necessary to ensure we protect the safety of our swim school environment.
Third-party background checks are an important part of our hiring practices that we always adhere to and we have a strict zero-tolerance policy for misconduct. While the police indicated that we could not have foreseen this incident, we take responsibility to find every way imaginable to guard against something of this nature from ever occurring again. Our number one priority right now is supporting our team of instructors to navigate this troubling situation and support them however needed."
