Three months later, still no updates in OSU investigation of hidden cameras in a dorm bathroom
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Three months after a hidden camera was found in the bathroom of an Ohio State dorm suite, police are giving no new updates about the investigation.
On Monday, an Ohio State University spokesperson said the investigation is ongoing, and no arrests have been made at this time. This is the same answer that was given in April when the voyeurism investigation opened. In April, police said there was only one suspect, a known student.
NBC4 asked Ohio State if the same student was still a suspect, but did not get a response.
On April 16, police responded to OSU residence hall Morrill Tower on reports of a hidden camera in a suite bathroom. According to police records, a student was using the restroom in his Morrill Tower dorm suite when he found a hidden camera in the stall's toilet paper holder.
Police records show the filming may have taken place for months, beginning in November 2024. Records also say the suspect used computers as part of the alleged voyeurism, but records do not elaborate further on how or why police know that. NBC4 also accessed the 911 call made to report the incident.
“I have a group of guys whose suite, there was a hidden camera in their bathroom that none of them put in there,” a residence hall employee told the dispatcher.
In the 911 call, the dispatcher sounded surprised and asked to speak with one of the students who found the camera.
“When I looked to my left, I see a blinking light coming, like reflecting on the toilet paper holder, so I looked in and I found a camera there," a student, whose name has been redacted in police records for privacy, said.
The dispatcher then told them to place the camera on the front desk for officers. However, the student said the camera had been passed around after he removed it from the bathroom. A police report notes this added several sets of fingerprints to the camera.
According to the 911 call, the camera was found in a suite bathroom used by around 16 students. Morrill Tower is a 23-story residence hall that primarily houses first- and second-year OSU students.
At the time of the incident, the university said it could not confirm if the student remained in the residence hall due to student privacy concerns. According to university student conduct rules, the university did have the right to remove a student from campus with probable cause, such as alleged voyeurism.
The university has not named the suspect, and did not confirm if he has been ruled out. Ohio State University will begin its residence hall move-ins on Aug. 20.