PEABODY — A Middleton man who owns a chiropractic business in the city faces a charge of photographing an unsuspecting nude person after he allegedly installed and hid a camera inside the bathroom at his business, Back on Track.
Scott Kline, 44, was arraigned on the charge in Peabody District Court Tuesday. A judge set his bail at $10,000 and Kline was ordered to stay away from and have no contact with the reporting party, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan’s office said in a statement. Kline will return to court on Aug. 29 for a pretrial conference.
One of Kline’s patients alerted Peabody Police to the presence of the alleged hidden camera, after he noticed “a black plastic coat hook hanging on the wall next to the toilet tank that looked out of place.”
The patient then, on further inspection, observed what appeared to be a blue light on the side of the hanger, which he allegedly determined to be a hidden spy camera, complete with a lens on the front, USB port, on/off switch, and SD memory card, the statement said.
The patient documented the alleged hidden camera with his cell phone and provided images of it to police. Peabody police subsequently conducted a search of the business, and while they did not observe the alleged camera, they found evidence that indicated it had been there, the statement said.
Police also found several pieces of digital evidence, including hard drives and SD cards, the statement said.
Investigators assigned to the case are “actively processing evidence recovered and working to identify potential victims,” the statement said. Anyone with information or who believes they were a victim of the alleged surveillance is encouraged to contact Peabody Police at 978-538-6300 / 978-531-1212.
The case was referred to Ryan’s office by Essex District Attorney Paul Tucker’s office to avoid a potential conflict of interest, according to the statement. Ryan’s office and Peabody Police are overseeing the investigation, with assistance from state police.
