3 hidden cameras found in Winter Park bathroom; dozens of victims recorded, police say

WINTER PARK, Fla. - Three hidden cameras were found in a bathroom in Winter Park and likely recorded dozens of people, unknowingly, over a span of nearly five weeks, the Winter Park Police Department said.

Police have arrested 19-year-old Nicolas Sebastian Esparza, a law student at Barry University, under suspicion of digital voyeurism.

Authorities said they've identified dozens of victims so far, but believe there are several others who were captured on camera and have not yet been identified.

What we know:

The cameras – found on three different days – were found in a public bathroom in a courtyard shared by a number of businesses on S. Park Avenue in Winter Park.

Here are the dates the cameras were found:

• March 22 (hidden in a hole where the plumbing enters the wall)
• March 25 (hidden in a hole where the plumbing enters the wall)
• April 28 (stuck to the back of a trashcan in the bathroom)

The first camera was found by a coffee shop employee on March 22 hidden in "a small hole where the plumbing enters the wall," police said in its report.

"The camera lens was directed towards the toilet."

A second camera was found on March 25 in the same spot as the first one, police said. A third camera was found a month later, on April 28, stuck to the back of a trashcan in the same bathroom, according to police.

Police said the cameras had removable SD cards to store videos and images, but did not appear to be Wi-FI capable.

Detectives were unable to access images or video from the first camera and have since sent that device to the U.S. Secret Service for potential data recovery.

Detectives were able to access data from the second camera, which contained 11 files that captured 18 people using the bathroom, including adults, children, and infants, police said.

One of the first videos also appeared to capture the alleged suspect placing the camera in the bathroom. In another video, the suspect was seen wearing a "Barry University School of Law sweatshirt," police said.

What you can do:

Police said anyone who used that bathroom between March 21-22, 24-25, or April 28 and believed they could have been recorded to contact the Winter Park Police Department:

• 407-644-1313

What they're saying:

Barnie's Coffee issued a statement about the incident on Friday, May 8:

"Barnie's Coffee values the safety of its customers and employees above everything else. We have had a presence in the community for 45 years, and we consider Winter Park our home.

Up to this point, Barnie's has refrained from commenting on this incident to allow law enforcement to continue its work. At this time, we would like to clarify some important points.

Barnie's management discovered a camera hidden in the common area bathroom located off Greeneda Court on March 22 and immediately alerted local law enforcement, who were very responsive. Since this camera was found, management has had a policy of checking for cameras regularly and on two further occasions, cameras were found by Barnie's employees and immediately reported to law enforcement. 

The common area bathroom is used by patrons of multiple businesses on Park Avenue. It is accessed through the Greeneda courtyard and is not in Barnie's cafe.

The accused is not a Barnie's employee and has never been a Barnie's employee. He has no affiliation with the company. 

We are concerned for the victims of these incidents. We support local law enforcement and trust that they will act within the law to protect our community."

Barry University also released a statement to FOX 35:

Barry University is aware of an off-campus incident involving a law student and continues to assist law enforcement as appropriate. Due to privacy laws, we cannot comment on any student’s enrollment status.

Winter Park