College professor arrested in student voyeurism investigation

A 71-year-old drama professor at Green River Community College, Washington tried to get video of a young woman changing, but was caught after she found the camera and video of him placing it in the drama department's dressing room, police say.

The professor, who has taught at the college since 1967, was arrested for investigation of voyeurism and made his first court appearance Friday afternoon in Kent. He has been released from jail on personal recognizance and ordered not to have contact with the young woman. The professor has not yet been charged and for this reason remains unnamed.

The drama professor, who is married, asked the student if she would be interviewed for an article in the school newspaper. He advised that there would be photographs, "and he wanted her to try on different dresses to see which one she should wear to the interview," Auburn Detective Aaron Williams wrote in a probable-cause document.

The woman, 20, tried on four dresses while the professor waited outside, and stepped out to show him two. She then began to re-dress.

"As she did this, (the victim) noticed a small black Sony video camera that was sticking out just slightly from between some pillows placed on an upper shelf inside the dressing room," Williams wrote. "(She) removed the camera and found that it had been aimed at her and had been recording her as she changed into the various dresses.

"(She) recognized the camera as a camera similar to one she had seen (the professor) using to tape past performances at the school."

The young woman went to campus security and reviewed the recording while waiting for police.

"(She) told officers that at the beginning of the recording she clearly saw (the professor) placing the video camera on the shelf in the woman's dressing room."

The woman became upset and turned it off. An officer viewed the recording and reported it captured images of the woman nude.

The professor is on emergency leave, but remains on the payroll, according to the school newspaper, The Current.

The newspaper never ran a story solely on the play. Instead they wrote about the professor's arrest, quoting a former student describing him as "creeptastic."