ONEIDA COUNTY, WI (WAOW) - An elderly Wisconsin man was charged recently with secretly taking nude pictures of two men staying in his home.
Prosecutors said 81-year-old Elmer Goetsch is accused of snapping photos of the interns and say he even had cameras and other recording devices hidden throughout the house.
Goetsch, who served on several boards and committees, is now facing charges in connection to the alleged incident.
According to court documents, an intern staying at Goetsch's home said he heard a strange noise coming from a bedroom. When he walked in, he saw a picture of his own bedroom on a TV screen.
At that point, the man apparently became suspicious and started searching the house. That’s when authorities said he discovered some other recording devices in the house.
“There were cameras in the house, together with a monitor for viewing the footage, and some system of being able to restore footage,” said Onieda County Assistant District Attorney Scott Moller. “Some of them, at least, were what they call pinhole cameras, which I understand to be an easily-concealed type of camera. And essentially, it looks like cameras were set up in a couple of bedrooms and a bathroom.”
Additionally, court documents revealed the interns told police that Goetsch never made any inappropriate comments toward them. However, they said he did provide them with a supply of pornos in both their bedrooms.
Authorities said they also found a recording device in Goetsch's bedroom, but he denied knowing about the cameras.
“He also expressed some concern about why the complaining witness had gone to the police as opposed to going to him,” said Moller.
WAOW-TV’s Emily Neubauer reported that she tried calling Goetsch at his home Friday, but that he hung up on her. Additionally, his lawyer said he had no comment about the accusations.
“All that's pending at this time are charges, allegations, and he's innocent until, unless or until he's proven guilty,” said Moleller.
Goetsch, who has no prior criminal record, is expected to be back in court in July.
