RICHMOND, Va. -- A Richmond man filed a $1.3 million lawsuit against the man from whom he sublet an apartment after the man discovered a hidden camera in the bedroom of the Cheyenne Road home.
The man moved into the home he subleased from suspect Tomas Arnaiz in 2012. A clock radio was included in the fully-furnished home.
The clock radio, the lawsuit alleged, contained a hidden camera with a memory card inside.
The lawsuit, filed by the victim and his girlfriend in late December, revealed they found out they were being secretly recorded in various stages of undress, while using the bathroom and during their most intimate moments.
The video and pictures were allegedly downloaded to Arnaiz’s computer.
The ordeal caused anxiety, loss of sleep and severe emotional distress for the couple, according to the lawsuit.
"Now tenants in furnished and other properties, must be aware that there are seemingly innocuous things that can change their lives forever," Andrew Herzog, the attorney representing the couple, said.
According to court documents, the victims discovered they were being filmed when they finally noticed that a clock radio, that had previously been unplugged to plug in a guitar amp, had several times been re-positioned and plugged back into the outlet.
Richmond Police arrested Arnaiz, who was indicted last July, and recovered hours of recordings.
Now Arnaiz is charged with unlawful filming of a minor, reproducing child porn and producing obscene materials with a minor because the victim’s girlfriend was under 18 when she was recorded.
The couple’s attorney said the couple realized they were being recorded in March 2014 and moved out the next day. Arnaiz’s attorney has not yet commented on the case.
Arnaiz is due in court February 27 for his trial on the felony charges.
