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Williams College student facing charges, allegedly hid camera in school bathroom
The student is charged with 18 counts of photographing, videotaping, or electronically surveilling a partially nude or nude person.
A Williams College student is facing charges for allegedly hiding a surveillance camera in a restroom in the school’s fitness center, prosecutors said.
Weston resident Maxwell Hall, 21, is charged with 18 counts of photographing, videotaping, or electronically surveilling a partially nude or nude person, according to the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office.
Williamstown police were alerted about the incident Jan. 16 when they received a report from the college’s Campus Safety Services (CSS) about suspicious activity in the Lasell Gymnasium, the DA’s office said in a statement. A student told CSS about the camera after they found a surveillance device disguised as a phone charger in the gym’s second floor bathroom.
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Over the next several days, CSS conducted sweeps of all restrooms across Williams’ campus, but did not find any additional cameras, CSS Director Jeff Palmer said in a statement. Hall is no longer on campus, Palmer said.
Investigators analyzed key-card swipes, emails, and the memory card in the camera, The Berkshire Eagle reported. Police also searched Hall’s dormitory and spoke to someone whom they say he “confided in.”
Hall’s arraignment in Northern Berkshire District Court was originally scheduled for Friday. He is now set to appear in court June 2, court records show.
Six of the 18 unsuspecting people who were recorded between noon and 5 p.m. have not been identified, according to Palmer. The victims who were identified have been offered support from the DA’s office and the college’s Title IX, violence prevention, and mental health offices.
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Hall is a junior at Williams and a captain on the wrestling team, according to the college’s website. The charges against Hall carry a penalty of up to two and a half years in jail and up to a $5,000 fine.
Peter C. Horstmann, Hall’s attorney, declined to comment Thursday night.
Anyone with information about the incident or anyone who believes they were in the bathroom Jan. 16 between noon and 5 p.m. can contact Sergeant Shuan William at 413-458-5733 or [email protected].
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