Brighton pastor William Eugene Johnson, 37, is in police custody after being charged with crimes connected to the discovery of a hidden bathroom camera on church premises.
According to an e-mail shared with members of 2|42 Community Church in Brighton, Michigan, church staff discovered a video recording device in a unisex bathroom on Friday, Sept. 13. Worship pastor director Johnson allegedly confessed to placing the hidden camera and was fired immediately.
Church leadership promptly notified the Livingston County Sheriff's Office, who arrested Johnson that evening.
The bathroom in question was a backstage bathroom, intended for staff and volunteers. A scan of the premises did not reveal additional devices. Johnson told police detectives he had been "targeting specific individuals known to use that specific bathroom" intermittently over the last two years.
Law enforcement seized all electronic devices from Johnson's home while executing a search warrant. Johnson is currently being held on a $250,000 cash bond at Livingston County Jail charged with surveilling an unclothed person, destruction of evidence, and using a computer to commit a crime.
"We are shocked and deeply saddened by this situation as the protection, safety and privacy of every person who enters our church is our priority," 2|42 wrote in a statement posted Sunday. "Our commitment to you is to be fully transparent and care for all victims of this crime."
All known victims have been contacted. The investigation remains ongoing.
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