OCALA, Fla. — An Ocala man is facing hundreds of charges after police say he was caught using a hidden camera to secretly film young girls at a local Walmart.
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Records show 32-year-old Joshua Gaines was booked into the Marion County Jail on Aug. 9 on 10 counts of digital voyeurism and more than 400 counts of possession of child pornography.
According to the Ocala Police Department, officers responded to the Walmart at 2600 SW 19th Avenue Road at approximately 7:45 p.m. that day after an Asset Protection Investigator recognized Gaines from having been previously trespassed from the store for secretly recording young girls there last year.
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According to police, Gaines already knew he was not allowed to return to that location.
Investigators say security footage from the store showed Gaines pretending to shop while using a camera hidden in a small black bag to record video of children, particularly those wearing tight or revealing clothing.
According to the police department, most of Gaines’ activity occurred in the store’s back-to-school section, where many young girls were present at the time.
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Police say Gaines would specifically aim the camera so that it would capture images of the children’s private areas.
A responding Ocala police officer initially took Gaines into custody in the store for trespassing.
After further investigation, police say they found a GoPro camera and two cell phones in his possession.
Investigators say search warrants executed on the devices yielded multiple video files indicating a “clear pattern” of digital voyeurism. Another search warrant subsequently revealed hundreds of images of child pornography showing children as young as approximately six years of age.
Gaines remains in the Marion County jail on no bond for each of the digital voyeurism charges and $10,000 bond set for each individual count of possession of child pornography.
Police commended the Walmart Asset Protection Investigator for being alert and acting quickly to help capture Gaines.
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