Palos Verdes Inspector Pleads Not Guilty To Bathroom Recordings

PALOS VERDES, CA – A former Rancho Palos Verdes city building inspector pleaded not guilty Monday to dozens of misdemeanor charges after he was accused of secretly recording dozens of people at a City Hall bathroom and a nearby coffee shop.

Andrew James Jensen, 49, of Huntington Beach, remains jailed in lieu of $315,000 bail. He was ordered to return to the Torrance courthouse for a pretrial hearing Oct. 22.

Jensen is charged with 89 misdemeanor counts of unauthorized invasion of privacy for allegedly using a hidden camera to secretly record 63 women and 26 men between June 13 and July 5, according to prosecutors.

"On July 5, 2018, a hidden miniature camera was discovered by a Rancho Palos Verdes city staffer in a unisex employee restroom," according to a statement released by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. "A police report was filed and Lomita Station initiated a criminal investigation. It was determined that Jensen, who was a Rancho Palos Verdes building inspector, allegedly secreted the camera in the restroom at City Hall, and at a nearby local business."

If convicted as charged, Jensen could face more than 44 years in jail, according to the District Attorney's Office.

City News Service and Patch staffer Emily Holland contributed to this post; Image via Shutterstock