MARYSVILLE — A 12-year-old Marysville girl made a frightening discovery in her bathroom garbage can.
There was a wireless camera hidden there, and it pointed at the shower stall, according to court papers.
Police later found videos of the girl allegedly made by a trusted housemate who had lived with the Marysville family. The man was close enough to the four children who lived in the home that he was called “uncle,” according to court papers.
On Thursday, the housemate, an Arlington man, 26, was arrested and placed behind bars.
When detectives examined the contents of his computer, they found the videos and other alarming images.
Detectives said they found 82 sexually explicit photos of other children and dozens of child porn videos. Some of the videos showed children who appeared to be as young as 3 being abused by adults, police said.
The man had lived with the family and gained their trust, Marysville police Cmdr. Robb Lamoureux said.
On Jan. 19, the girl went to use her bathroom but saw the man in there. The parents thought it was odd for the man to use the girl’s bathroom since he had a washroom of his own.
“She went back into the bathroom and looked into the garbage can and found the video camera,” prosecutors wrote.
After the girl made the discovery, the family confronted the man and he admitted hiding the camera. Police were called and an investigation was launched.
The family worried that the man may have been trying to “take it further if he wasn’t caught,” records show.
The man allegedly confessed to police that he’d taken the videos and downloaded illegal pornography. He told detectives he knew what he was doing was wrong and said he needed counseling to help him with his problem, police said.
He was charged Friday in Snohomish County Superior Court with voyeurism and possession of depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
A judge ordered him held at the Snohomish County Jail in lieu of $75,000 bail.
Reporter Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437, jholtz@heraldnet.com.
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