A Woodstock man is accused of secretly filming three women while they used the bathroom at McHenry County College, according to court records and authorities.
Alejandro Zavala-Ramirez, 25, is charged with three counts of unauthorized video recording or transmission without consent, Class 4 felonies, according to a criminal complaint filed in McHenry County court.
Authorities said at two separate times between 3 and 4 p.m. on Feb. 12, Zavala-Ramirez, who they said was a student at the time, “placed his cellular telephone over the top of the dividing wall from the stall next to” the women and proceeded to record” them while they “utilized the bathroom stall, without [their] knowledge and/or consent,” the complaint stated.
One time during the same timeframe, he allegedly “placed his cellular telephone under the bottom of the dividing wall” and recorded a woman using the bathroom, the complaint stated.
The incidents, alleged to have happened in a bathroom in Building A, was reported after one of the women saw the device under the stall, prosecutors said. Authorities do not believe he shared or sent the images from his phone.
Zavala-Ramirez, who is no longer a student at the school, made a first appearance before a judge Wednesday, where he was granted pretrial release. He was ordered to not have any contact with the three women named in the complaint or the college, an order shows.
Zavala-Ramirez, who does not have an attorney listed in his files, is due back in court March 18.
A college spokesperson provided a statement that was shared with employees and students:
“The College has been made aware of an unwanted videotaping incident that took place last week on campus. All impacted individuals have been contacted, and the incident is being addressed, posing no additional risk to our campus community. As there may be ongoing legal developments, we cannot share any additional information at this time. Thank you for your understanding.”
