Landlord Accused Of Secretly Recording Tenants With Tiny Camera

A Maryland landlord has been accused of secretly recording female tenants with a tiny camera installed in their apartments.

According to police, an article about hidden cameras published in Cosmopolitan magazine prompted a female tenant to search her apartment. Her discovery of a camera hidden in the smoke detector above her bed launched an investigation that led police to arrest 63-year-old Dennis Alan Van Dusen, the building’s landlord.

According to MSN News, Van Dusan now faces charges in connection with secret recordings he made of three female tenants while they were undressed or engaged in sexual activity. He is scheduled to appear in Montgomery County District Court on March 4.

Van Dusen, a lawyer who holds graduate degrees from Harvard University, is also facing civil charges filed by two of the female victims and one of their male partners. The civil suits are based on allegations that Van Dusan committed an invasion of privacy by installing the hidden cameras.

An article by The Washington Post writes that the landlord has not commented about the alleged secret recordings. Samuel Delgado, defending attorney in the criminal case, has stated that he intends to further investigate all evidence in an effort to vindicate his client.

A.P. Pishevar, the lawyer representing Van Dusen in the civil suit, stood behind his client’s character:

“[Van Dusan is] a good man who has served his country as a retired Marine. These accusations are false and defamatory and will be challenged in a court of law.”

What would you do if you discovered that your landlord was secretly recording your intimate moments?