Education

Police Say Ex-Principal Recorded Underage Girls With His Wife Through Hidden Cameras

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The Vermont State Police is charging a 56-year-old former principal with 29 counts of voyeurism and five counts of possession of child pornography, according to multiple local news reports.

Dean Stearns, who once led Vermont’s South Royalton School, reportedly pleaded not guilty to all of the charges, which also included six counts of promoting sexual recordings. Several months ago, police only identified one victim. Now, four more potential targets are included in the case.

BREAKING NEWS: South Royalton principal arrested on additional charges https://t.co/oATRYhkm1M #vt pic.twitter.com/wXvnIwNOZr

— Channel 3 News (@wcax) March 19, 2018

Stearns allegedly spied on visitors to his home, one of which included a 16-year-old girl, by embedding recording devices into electronics like a phone charger, alarm clock, and night light, WCAX-TV reported. He was originally arrested last year after an underage guest called police upon discovering a hidden camera in a charger situated in the bathroom. Stearns, who allegedly shared the obscene content with his wife, also spied on at least one of the minors through a window.

After eventually resigning from his position, authorities scanned the school where he worked to ensure that no other recording devices were hidden on the property.

A judge ordered that Stearns, according to another report, is not allowed to purchase another mobile device, post any content on the internet, nor communicate with people under the age of 18, aside from his grandchildren.

Despite formally declaring his innocence, he reportedly said at some point during the initial arrest that he wished he had committed suicide

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