The discovery of a hidden camera in an underage girl’s bedroom led to the arrest of a Michigan man whose cellphone contained 294 “graphic images” of child pornography, authorities said.
Nickolas Lee, 30, was arrested in a recent Genesee Human Oppression Strike Team operation, or G.H.O.S.T., Genesee County Sheriff Christopher Swanson said in an April 12 press conference.
An investigation into Lee’s activities began last fall when the girl’s parents found a hidden camera disguised as a cellphone charger in her room and reported it to authorities, Swanson said.
Lee had access to the victim’s room because he was a caregiver for a “special needs family member”, according to the sheriff.
“Predators find ways to ingratiate themselves in order to exploit,” Swanson said.
Lee faces 30 charges related to the possession of child pornography and using a computer to commit a crime, according to court records. He is being held on a US$600,00 cash bond.
McClatchy News reached out to Lee’s attorney April 17 for comment but did not receive an immediate response.
Investigators found a total of 294 pieces of child pornography on Lee’s phone with images of victims from around the world, according to Swanson.
“This right here is the creepy white van in the 21st century,” Swanson said, referencing Lee’s confiscated cellphone.
“These are young girls, that are in single digits, with grown men,” Swanson said, referencing the ages of the victims whose images deputies say were found on Lee’s phone. – The Charlotte Observer/Tribune News Service
