RICHMOND, Va. — A Virginia landlord is facing a $1.3 million lawsuit for allegedly hiding a camera in the bedroom and recording the occupant and his girlfriend, who was underage at the time.
Tomas Arnaiz sublet the fully-furnished home in 2012, and included a clock radio that reportedly had a camera and memory card inside.
The photos and videos, which included the couple in various stages of undress and other personal situations, were reportedly downloaded to Arnaiz’s computer.
The victim and his girlfriend filed the lawsuit in late December. They say they moved out the day after they discovered they were being recorded in March 2014, and reported anxiety, loss of sleep, and severe emotional distress.
“Now tenants in furnished and other properties, must be aware that there are seemingly innocuous things that can change their lives forever,” Andrew Herzog, the attorney representing the couple, said.
The couple figured out they were being filmed when they realized the clock radio, which had been unplugged to make room for a guitar amp, had been repositioned several times and plugged back into the outlet.
Police arrested Arnaiz and recovered hours of recordings. Arnaiz was indicted last July, and is charged with unlawful filming of a minor, reproducing child porn and producing obscene materials with a minor.