20-182 Deputies Arrest St. Petersburg Man on Charge of Video Voyeurism of a Minor
Video Voyeurism Arrest
Who:
Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office
-Patrol Operations Bureau
William Edward Smith (Suspect – Arrested)
DOB: 4/18/1955
Address: 3663 58th Avenue North #724, St. Petersburg
Charges: Video Voyeurism, Failure to Protect a Minor, Tampering with Physical Evidence
The female victim is under the age of 12. Per Florida Statute 119.071(2)(h)1 no further details will be released that would tend to identify the victim.
What:
Deputies have arrested a St. Petersburg man on charges of video voyeurism, failure to protect a minor and tampering with physical evidence.
When:
The suspect was arrested on Sunday, December 27, 2020.
Where:
The suspect recorded the victim at his residence located at 3663 58th Avenue North #724 in St. Petersburg.
Why/How:
Deputies have arrested a St. Petersburg man on charges of video voyeurism, failure to protect a minor and tampering with physical evidence.
Patrol deputies were dispatched to the suspect’s residence after the victim’s father reported 65-year-old William Smith was watching pornography with the juvenile victim. The victim’s father told deputies he confronted Smith about the pornography and looked at Smith’s computer. The father found several videos on the computer, one of which contained the victim partially nude using Smith’s restroom.
Investigators spoke with Smith who admitted to setting up a manually-activated hidden camera to video the victim using the restroom. When Smith learned deputies were on their way to speak with him, he began deleting the videos from his computer. When questioned about watching pornography with the juvenile victim, he admitted to doing so on five separate occasions on his computer.
Smith was arrested and charged with Video Voyeurism and Tampering with Evidence for deleting the videos. For watching pornography with the juvenile victim he was charged with Failure to Protect a Minor.
Smith was transported to the Pinellas County Jail where he is currently being held.
The investigation continues.
Booking photo:
