There is no place that our children should be safer than in our homes – at least, that is supposed to be the case.
And it is every parent’s worst nightmare to find that our children have been harmed or put in danger in the place we feel most comfortable.
A disturbing new story recently came to light that has left parents furious and concerned, and it is shocking, to say the least.
A father in Playa Vista, California could not believe what he was seeing on home camera footage as he and his family moved into a new home.
A local repairman was contracted to fix damage to flooring in the home, and homeowner Jason Cooper was there to supervise.
But while Cooper was occupied elsewhere in the house, an unbelievable scenario played out on video being shot from his daughters’ new bedroom.
The repairman, thus far unidentified in the media, was seen wandering around the girls’ bedroom.
He then walked over to the laundry hamper, touched various pieces of clothing, and then pulled out a pair of underwear.
But it gets worse.
The video also captured the repairman apparently sniffing the pair of underwear and then placing them in his pocket after going back and forth from his work area to the hamper several times.
The girls are three and five years old.
CBS News Los Angeles reported on Cooper’s comments:
“I was enraged when I saw this video. I saw him put his hands in their hamper, pick up some of their clothes and at one point I saw him on the video putting something in his pocket. It looked like it was my daughter’s underwear. And he’s sniffing or licking, doing something disgusting with my either 5-year-old or 3-year-old’s underwear.”
Cooper filed a police report and is most interested in finding out if the man has a prior criminal history.
Cooper said that the repairman was shocked when confronted and told he had been recorded, but this father was not interested in hearing any excuses.
He said that he is not interested in the reason, only that this scenario never unfolds in anyone else’s home again.
The video was caught on a “nanny cam,” that had been installed only an hour prior to the repairman’s arrival at the home.
These cameras have been a godsend to many parents who must leave their children with babysitters and can also capture footage of break-ins or home robberies.
But experts warn that parents must know the law before using one of these cameras.
Wirecutter reports on some guidelines to follow according to the law:
First of all, anyone has a right to record video inside their homes, but cameras cannot be placed in any location where one would expect a “high degree of privacy,” most typically a bathroom.
Recordings must be made for a “reasonable purpose,” but the law in most states includes the reason that most people purchase cameras: “monitoring a baby and babysitter to thwart child abuse, and to prevent theft.”
It is currently legal nationwide to make a video recording inside your home without notifying who you are recording, but there are some restrictions.
Most states do allow video recordings to be used as evidence in court, but audio recordings have a different set of guidelines under wiretapping laws.
The best thing to do is talk to a licensed camera installation company in your state and research your state and local laws about home surveillance.
And one other extremely important way to prevent this from happening to your family is to always research the licensing and background of anyone coming to your home to do repairs, including checking online and with the Better Business Bureau.
And for Jason Cooper, even though he was home at the time, he says that he will never allow another repairman into their home without being right at their side while they work.
For now, no charges have been filed, and reports say it is unclear if any actual law was broken – unbelievable for such an offense.
This disgusting act was a violation against the Cooper family that will not soon be forgotten – especially since it was a violation of their children’s innocence.
What do you think about this disturbing story? Do you have cameras in your home? What is your advice for allowing repairmen in your house? Leave us your comments.