An East Valley man, identified as 22-year-old Jason Romo, has been arrested after allegedly filming his female coworkers in the bathroom over a period exceeding a year, authorities reported. According to 12 News, Romo was apprehended on May 4 following a witness's discovery of a concealed phone in the workplace restroom. Court documents reveal that Romo is accused of strategically placing his phone to capture videos without consent. Investigators found multiple illicit recordings on his device, with some footage dating as far back as March 2023.

Romo purportedly admitted to the offense, stating he had managed to record his unaware colleagues "10-20 times without being caught," 12 News records show. He now faces charges of unlawful surreptitious recording, in an incident that raises pressing concerns about privacy violations in seemingly safe spaces, such as the workplace.

Further details provided by AZFamily explain that Romo's phone was hidden in a box that had a hole cut into it, which he then positioned in a bathroom at his place of work, located in the vicinity of Kyrene and Guadalupe roads in Tempe. His unassuming victims were recorded by the camera, with police noting that the count of known victims currently stands at two women.

Romo, who was booked into jail on charges of surreptitious videotaping, has subsequently been released on his own recognizance, a move that may stir unease among community members, concerned about the implications of granting liberty to an individual accused of such invasive and disturbing acts. The investigation is ongoing, as local authorities scrutinize the obtained footage and seek to determine the full extent of Romo’s surreptitious actions and potential additional victims.