On February 7, City of Tampa police officers retrieved two spy camera alarm clocks from a Seminole Heights Airbnb rental home for which there was a search warrant filed February 3

Tampa Real Estate Investor Under Scrutiny For Alleged Airbnb Video Voyeurism

TAMPA, FL. – On February 7, City of Tampa police officers retrieved two spy camera alarm clocks from a Seminole Heights Airbnb rental home for which there was a search warrant filed February 3. The investigative detective that has been assigned to this case is a member of the Major Crimes Bureau’s Special Victims Unit.

The owner of the home, Demetrius L. Brown, 38, is the owner of Demetrius Investments that according to Sunbiz.org has operated since 2012.

Sunbiz states Brown lives at 201 West Haya Street where the search warrant indicates two Airbnb renters discovered the spy camera alarm clocks hidden in their bedrooms.

Based on probable cause of violating Florida law (F.S.S. 810.145) prohibiting video voyeurism, the alarm clocks and camera systems have been retrieved for forensic analyses. To date, there is no arrest record of Brown in this case.

Brown admitted to police that he placed the hidden cameras in the room, citing previous home burglaries as the cause of their placement in the Airbnb rooms. It is not known if previous burglaries were committed by Airbnb renters, or by outside perpetrators. It is also not known if Brown placed surveillance cameras outside of the house. The Free Press could not reach Brown for comment.

According to an Affidavit of Search Warrant, “on January 20, 2022, the victim called police to report that he was staying at an Airbnb located at 201 W Haya St #3 Tampa, FL 33603. During his stay in his bedroom, he discovered that an alarm clock in his bedroom was a hidden camera that was facing the bed of the bedroom.

The victim’s attention to the camera was drawn to it, due to him seeing more than usual connections to the back of the device. Upon taking a closer look, he observed that there was an SD card slot and lens inside the device. The device was on, as it was showing the time as 0809 hrs.

The victim called the police to report that his expectation of privacy was violated by the hidden camera he located inside his room.

Further investigation by officers at the scene revealed that there was another female staying in room #2 of that Airbnb location. The female allowed officers into her room where they also observed another hidden camera device identical to the one in room #3.

Both devices were later seized as evidence by officers and entered as evidence for this case. The device in room number two was also powered and was disconnected by officers.

Officers conducted a fact-finding interview with the owner of the house, Demetrius Brown, who agreed to talk to them. Brown stated that he placed the cameras in the bedrooms due to a recent burglary to his residence.

He further stated that the cameras are Wi-Fi operated and he can access them through an application on his cell phone. Officers asked permission from Brown to browse his cell phone application and he declined to do so.”

The City of Tampa Police Department does not comment on pending cases.

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