The former chief of a Berks County emergency medical services organization is charged with hiding a camera in the women’s restroom of the EMS building and capturing videos of both female colleagues and girls.
Jason S. McCully, 39, is charged with sexual abuse of children, possession of child pornography, possession of a device for intercepting communication, invasion of privacy and related offenses for allegedly recording women and girls between Oct. 26, 2021, and May 24 of this year.
“This is extremely disturbing. The victims that we interviewed were all very embarrassed and very upset about how they’ve been victimized,” Berks County District Attorney John Adams told NBC10.
Investigators first caught wind of the alleged crimes on May 24, when someone called police to the Elverson-Honey Brook Area EMS building in Caernarvon Township to report a recording device in the women’s restroom, the Berks County District Attorney’s Office said Monday.
Get top local stories in Philly delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Philadelphia's News Headlines newsletter.
Officers with the Caernarvon Township Police Department found a small, concealed camera in a toiletry bag that was positioned on the bathroom sink, the DA’s office said. The officers spoke with McCully, who admitted the bag was his, according to the DA’s office.
After initiating an investigation, detectives forensically examined the camera and found “several” video files showing women, including colleagues, and girls “in various stages of undress/nudity,” prosecutors said. Of the eight victims identified and interviewed, two were underage and none knew they were being recorded.
On June 15, detectives served a warrant at McCully’s home and seized various electronic devices. On his cellphone they found more pictures of women using the restroom at the EMS building and identified three of them, all of whom reported being unaware they were being recorded, according to prosecutors.
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
In a statement, a representative for the Elverson-Honey Brook Area EMS station said the station “acted swiftly” to suspend and subsequently fire McCully. “The organization immediately notified our staff members and worked closely with law enforcement agencies to ensure that the victims of this crime would be protected,” the representative said.
The DA’s office said detectives are still parsing through McCully’s electronics and that more charges could follow if they find more images.
McCully was arraigned Monday night and committed Berks County Prison after being unable to post bail, according to online court records. The records did not list an attorney who could comment on his behalf.
