Could you have been secretly video taped in a clothing store fitting room
Fairfax County police are searching for 60 or more victims who may have been recorded in a dressing room over a ten-day period.
WUSA9's Peggy Fox reported that the suspect is behind bars after police caught him red handed.
Imagine walking into a dressing room to try on clothes and being secretly recorded by hidden camera being operated by a guy hiding in the next door stall.
"I think it's really gross and disgusting how people do that and they think they can get away with it," said Mia, a West Springfield High School student.
RELATED: Man may have secretly recorded more than 60 victims inside dressing rooms at Fairfax County stores
Mumtaz Rauf, 39, was caught on Christmas Eve and charged with unlawful fining of a minor at the Forever 21 store in Fair Oaks Mall. The girl reported seeing something suspicious.
"She looked up and saw something suspicious," said Major Ed O’Carroll, Commander of the Major Crimes Bureau at the Fairfax County Police Department.
The girl told store employees, who then called police.
"We caught him red handed," said O'Carroll.
Police seized Rauf's videos and tiny cameras, less than half an inch in diameter. They say he was operating them wirelessly, but was very close by.
"In that case and as we've seen likely in other cases, he was often times in the next fitting room," said O'Carroll. "What we're trying to do now is identify additional victims. It wasn't just one store, one fitting room. This predator traveled."
Police say Rauf was illegally video taping women and girls in dressings room for ten days from December 15 to the 24th.
"I think it's absolutely horrific and disgusting. And it's scary that someone could easily do that and get away with it for so long," said Deborah Burke.
So far, police identified the following locations and times frames in the illegal dressing room videos:
- December 22 at the Fair Lakes Mall Old Navy Stor from 1:15 p.m. to 2:10 p.m.
- Also December 22 at Fair Oaks Mall, back and forth between the H & M Store and Forever 21 from 2:50 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.
- December 24 at Fair Oaks Mall, back at both of the above stores from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.
So how do you know you're not being recorded in a dressing room? First look around for anything suspicious.
"Folks need to be aware when they're in spaces like a fitting room, or a public restroom, to be observant to what's happening. I would look out for any feature that's been recently installed. Maybe a smoke detector that wasn't there days earlier. Maybe a small hole in the wall. Any suspicious people, wires, what you think might be a shiny lens coming down from the ceiling or maybe a breach in the wall," said O'Carroll.
If you see something suspicious, say something.
Fairfax County police have set up a dedicated phone line for anyone who thinks they might have been filmed by the suspect between December 15 and the 24th. If you think you may have been filmed, please call 703- 246- 4600.