BENTONVILLE — A 16-year-old boy was arrested in connection with using a cellphone to videotape a woman after she got out of a tanning bed.
The teen was arrested Friday and appeared Monday before Circuit Judge Mark Fryauf for an arraignment.
The teen is charged as a juvenile with video voyeurism, a Class D felony. He pleaded not guilty during his court appearance.
According to Arkansas law, it is unlawful to use any camera, videotape, photo-optical, photo electric or any image recording device for the purpose of secretly observing, viewing, photographing, filming or videotaping a person in a residence, place of business, school or other structure if that person is in a private area out of public view; has a reasonable expectation of privacy; and hasn’t consented to the observation.
The case began Friday after a woman reported to Bentonville police she noticed a teen boy videotaping her when she was getting out of a tanning bed at Ultimate Tan, 100 S.W. 14th St. in Bentonville, according to a police report.
The woman told police a wall in the room she was in doesn’t go all the way to the ceiling and the teen was leaning over it, according to the report. The teen was arrested and held at the Benton County Juvenile Detention Center. Fryauf ordered the teen released into the custody of his parents.
Fryauf told the teen he’s not to have any contact with the woman. He also can’t have any contact with Ultimate Tan or any other tanning business. Fryauf said the teen can’t have access to anything that can be used to take photographs or video.
Fryauf appointed the Benton County Public Defenders Office to represent the teen, whose next court appearance is scheduled for 10 a.m. Nov. 7.