Restaurant Employee Accused Of Videotaping Women In Restroom

ST. PETE BEACH, FL -- Pinellas County Sheriff’s deputies have arrested a St. Petersburg man who they say used his cell phone to videotape a woman using the restroom in a St Pete Beach restaurant.

Deputies say it is likely there are more victims.

On Sunday, Aug. 9, at about 11 a.m., deputies were called to Beverly's Restaurant at 7401 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach, after receiving a report that a man was using a cell phone to videotape a woman in the restroom.

The 35 year-old victim was using a stall in the women's restroom when she heard the men's restroom door open next her. The men and women's restroom have separate entrances but share a common wall.

A few moments later, she looked up and saw a cell phone, camera side facing her, on top of the wall's divider.

A short time after she left the restroom, 18 year-old Bryan Lara exited the men's restroom with the cell phone. The victim's boyfriend confronted Lara who admitted to recording her.

Deputies say Lara, who lives on 17th Avenue in St. Petersburg, is an employee at the restaurant.

He was cooperative with deputies and admitted to recording the victim. He allowed deputies to search his phone and told deputies there were more of the same type of videos.

Deputies took the cell phone as evidence.

Lara was arrested on one count of video voyeurism and transported to the Pinellas County Jail without incident.

Other women who may be victims are asked to call the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office at (727) 582-6200.

Image via Pinellas Sheriff

(For more local news from Florida, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Patch. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here.)