OCALA, Fla. – An Ocala man was arrested earlier this month after he was caught secretly recording young girls at a Walmart, according to the police department.
In a news release, police said officers responded around 7:45 p.m. on Aug. 9 to the Walmart at 2600 SW 19th Avenue Road after the man, identified as Joshua Gaines, 32, was caught recording the girls.
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Security video showed that Gaines was pretending to shop, though he used a hidden camera in a small black bag to record video of the children, the release stated.
“He aimed the camera to capture video of the children’s private areas,” police said. “Most of his actions occurred in the back-to-school section, where many young girls were present.”
According to detectives, Gaines had previously been trespassed from the store last year after secretly recording young girls there, and he was aware that he wasn’t allowed to return.
An employee recognized Gaines, and after witnessing the “same suspicious behavior” as in 2023, the employee called officers to the store, police said.
While Gaines was initially arrested on a charge of trespassing, investigators said a GoPro camera and two cellular devices were found in Gaines’ possession.
After obtaining search warrants, investigators discovered files that revealed hundreds of images of child pornography, which has sparked a slew of new charges against Gaines, police added.
Now, Gaines faces 10 charges of digital voyeurism and 403 charges of possessing child pornography.
Arrest records show Gaines was taken into custody in August 2021 after he was found sleeping on a bench at Eighth Street Elementary School. At the time, he was charged with trespassing on school grounds, although prosecutors later dropped the charge.
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