Crime & Safety

Somerville Man Indicted for Filming Women in YMCA Locker Room

Ryan Perez, 24, is accused of taking photos in the women's locker room and possessing child pornograpy.

Editor's note: The following information was provided my the Middlesex District Attorney's office:

 A Somerville man has been indicted on charges alleging that he took video of women inside a YMCA locker room without their knowledge, Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone informed the public today.

Ryan Perez, 24, of Somerville, was indicted by a Middlesex County grand jury today on charges of photographing an unsuspecting nude person (4 counts), wiretapping, and possession of child pornography (3 counts).

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An arraignment date has not yet been set.

“These are very disturbing allegations, where the defendant is alleged to have illegally and secretly video recorded women inside the Somerville YMCA’s female-only locker room, as a predator violating their expectation of privacy,” District Attorney Leone said.  “The defendant’s troubling actions are compounded by the fact that authorities additionally located images of child pornography on his personal cell phone.”

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According to authorities, on November 1, 2011, at approximately 9:30 am, Somerville police responded to the YMCA at 101 Highland Avenue in Somerville for reports of a male taking pictures of women in the women’s locker room.  Upon arrival, officers met with one of the victims who informed them that she had taken a shower and was in the process of getting dress when she observed an individual in a bathroom stall, later identified as the defendant, slide a cell phone out from under the door and point it in her direction.  The victim quickly got dressed, left the locker room, and told another female, the second victim, what had happened.

The two women returned to the locker room and allegedly witnessed the defendant leave the stall with a pink towel covering his face.  When the victim realized the defendant was a male, she immediately began to yell for help and the defendant allegedly fled the locker room.

Somerville police located the defendant, who matched the suspect’s description given by the victims, in the men’s locker room.  The defendant was placed under arrest and transported to the Somerville Police Department.

On November 3, 2011, Somerville Police applied for and received a search warrant for the defendant’s cellular telephone.  A subsequent search of the phone recovered six videos that were allegedly created on November 1, 2011 between the hours of 8:33 am and 9:26 am.  The videos were determined to have been created inside the Somerville YMCA women’s locker room and depicted four victims in various states of nudity.              

A further forensic analysis of the defendant’s cell phone revealed approximately 23 images of child pornography.             

The defendant was arraigned in Somerville District Court on November 1, 2011 where he was released on the condition that he stays away from the women’s locker room at the Somerville YMCA.               

These charges are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The prosecutor assigned to this case is Assistant District Attorney Ceara Mahoney.  The Victim Witness Advocate is Nadia Guevara. This case was investigated by the Somerville Police Department.


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