FLORENCE, Ala. (WHNT) — A Florence man has been charged with aggravated surveillance after court documents show he tried recording a woman in the private tanning bed of a local gym where he worked.
23-year-old Jacob Lee Keeton was taken into custody on September 23 after an investigation into the incident.
Court records detailed the report where a woman said she went to the Planet Fitness at 1518 Florence Boulevard to use one of the tanning beds. She went into the private tanning room and removed her clothes, she explained.
It was then, after she was undressed, that she says she noticed a cell phone camera under the door – pointed directly at her.
The woman immediately got dressed and reported the incident to the gym’s general manager, then left and filed a report with the Florence Police Department (FPD).
An investigator with FPD says he went to Planet Fitness and interviewed Keeton, who was an employee at the gym.
During that interview, the investigator says Keeton admitted to “viewing” the woman under the door with his phone and further explained that he “has a foot fetish,” saying it “sometimes sexually arouses him,” according to court records.
Keeton’s phone was then taken and he was arrested.
If convicted of the Class A misdemeanor, aggravated surveillance carries up to one year of jail time and a fine of up to $6,000.
After the first offense, the charge is upgraded to a Class C felony, with a conviction carrying a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and up to $15,000 in fines.
When asked about the situation, the director of public relations from the Planet Fitness World Headquarters sent News 19 a statement.
At Planet Fitness, the safety and privacy of our members is our top priority, and we have absolutely zero tolerance for this type of behavior. The franchise owner has terminated the employee in question and is working closely with the local police to assist in their investigation. For additional questions, please reach out to the local authorities.
Becky Zirlen, Director of Public Relations
