Invasion of Privacy

A hidden camera discovered in a public ladies' restroom sent shock waves through the community last week. Patrick Pitcher, 31, of Hartville, faces five felony charges in connection with his alleged ownership and placement of the camera in the ceiling of a restroom of the Casey's General Store at 316 Ozark St., in Cabool. 

Police say they found 154 videos of victims exposed from the waist down, many of whom are children. In fact, the criminal charges Pitcher faces all correspond to his child victims, not the adults - sexual exploitation of a minor child, possession of child pornography of more than twenty pictures, and invasion of privacy of a victim less than 18 years of age. He also faces one count of possession of a controlled substance and one count unlawful use of a weapon, which stem from a search of his vehicle.

The camera is believed to have been recording for more than a month.

As the community comes to terms with the sheer scope of this invasion of privacy, a local law firm is building a civil suit on behalf of all the victims.

"Aside from criminal prosecution, a civil case seeks to remedy the harm that is inflicted upon the individual. A civil suit is the only manner of vindicating a person's constitutional freedom against the invasion of their privacy," explained Zane Privette of Privette Law Office. 

Anyone who used the ladies' restroom at Casey's East in Cabool from Dec. 1, 2022 through Jan. 3, is encouraged to contact Privette and co-counsel Bailey Privette at 417-469-3535 or email hiddencamera@privettelawoffice.com

"Speak up. Do not be afraid to say something," Privette urges victims. "Those who engage in this kind of disgusting behavior are betting on the fact that their victims will be too embarrassed or ashamed to speak out and talk about it."

The Cabool Police Department requests any potential victims who visited Casey's East on Jan. 3 to call the station at 417-962-3993.

The criminal investigation began on Jan. 3 when Patrolman Charlie Brown responded to the convenience store to investigate allegations of a hidden camera. He found the camera concealed in a ceiling tile above the sink, according to court documents. 

Forensic examination of the footage was completed on Jan. 11. More than 150 videos of victims were stored on the SD card. Police identified their suspect when the third video showed Pitcher opening an app on his cell phone that showed a live video of the restroom. Pitcher can be seen using the app to adjust the angle to show a wider view.

In an interview with police, Pitcher said he was collecting the footage for "personal use." He said he "didn't even think about" the possibility of capturing images of children. He denied using the camera anywhere else. 

Formal charges were issued from the Texas County Prosecuting Attorney's Office on Jan. 12. Pitcher remains in Texas County Jail on a $750,000 bond.