WINDCREST, Texas — A 62-year-old man has been arrested after he allegedly used a hole in an outdoor bathroom wall to photograph people renting his backyard pool.
Joe Anthony Gonzales is accused of possessing or promoting lewd visual material depicting a child, according to an arrest affidavit.
The investigation began on September 2 after a woman told Windcrest police she had rented Gonzales’ pool for a gathering. She said she and her two 7-year-old granddaughters were undressed inside the outdoor bathroom when one of the children noticed someone taking photos through a hole in the wall.
The woman told police she saw hands holding a camera through the opening before the person quickly moved away. A 17-year-old who attended the gathering also told officers she had seen someone’s eyes looking through the same hole while she was changing.
Officers later found an opening where a brick had been removed from the bathroom wall. The other side of the wall was inside a garage, where police found plywood propped against the opening and paint cans nearby.
Gonzales denied the allegations but told a Texas Ranger he was the only person at the home during the pool rental and that no one else had access to the garage. He also consented to a search of his phone, where officers reported finding more than 300 deleted photos, including images and videos of young females.
The affidavit alleges Gonzales may have committed voyeurism and invasive visual recording.