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Michael Collins, 29, was charged with 431 counts of voyeurism, 431 counts of eavesdropping, and possession of child pornography following a lengthy investigation into allegations that Collins, a lifeguard at the time, had placed mini cameras in a place of work that he shared with fellow employees, police said.
The investigation began in August when the Westport Police Department Detective Bureau was contacted by the Westport Parks and Recreation reporting that two cameras were found inside the lifeguard shack at Burying Hill Beach in Westport, according to police reports.
During the investigation, police said it was learned that the cameras were placed inside the employee room by Collins. The investigating detectives said the cameras were set up to record people without their knowledge or consent, and under circumstances where they had an expectation of privacy.
When police executed a search and seizure warrant at Collins’ residence in Westport, they recovered sunglasses with cameras in them, laptop computers, DVD’s, thumb drives, and various other electronic and surveillance items which may be used to facilitate illegal behavior, according to police. The electronic devices were forensically examined and found to have an extensive collection of both video and photographic images, police said.
In addition, the forensic examination revealed images of child pornography, police said.
Collins posted $75,000 bond and was issued a court date of Jan. 7 in Norwalk Court.
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