Hinsdale Spa Admits Cameras, But Says Patrons Notified

HINSDALE, IL – A Hinsdale spa owner acknowledges cameras were in the business, but contends they were not secret and only for protection, his lawyer says.

Last month, the owner, 51-year-old Jason W. Spencer of Houston, was arrested on five felony counts of unauthorized video recordings without getting consent, police said.

Through a public records request, Patch on Wednesday obtained documents related to Reflexion Spa's battle to renew its business license, which Hinsdale denied because of the allegations.

In a Jan. 23 letter, Reflexion's lawyer, Michael Kozlowski, said the spa installed security cameras at the police department's recommendation.

That was after a patient sexually assaulted a massage therapist, he said. The spa immediately called the police, who refused to arrest the suspect without video evidence, Kozlowski said.

After that, he said, the spa hired a reputable firm to install a security system, which included closed-circuit video cameras. The video was stored locally in encrypted systems for only about 24 hours, he said.

"Importantly, these cameras were never monitored and the recordings were never viewed by Reflexion Spa," Kozlowski said. "To be clear, no one from Reflexion Spa ever accessed or viewed any recordings of any private areas within the spa."

The attorney said the spa was upfront with its customers about the video cameras and provided "robust" written notices during booking and at the spa itself.

He also said the spa obtained consent from customers.

To book the service, Kozlowski said, the customer was required to acknowledge and agree to such a recording.

A written notice was posted conspicuously on the wall, stating that all interactions would be recorded, he said. Another notice was also in the service rooms themselves, he said.

This week, attorney Patrick Bond, a hearing officer for Hinsdale, ruled for the village, saying it had the right to deny a business license in such a situation.

Kozlowski did not return messages for comment Thursday about whether his client would appeal.

Bond's written decision included testimony from the police.

The police said no one from the department requested the spa install security cameras. They said the cameras in the treatment rooms were concealed in the ceiling tiles, while cameras in the hallways were visible.

The couple's spa room included a purported smoke detector with a hidden camera, police said.

The hidden cameras, police said, faced massage tables and captured images of patrons removing their clothes.

During a five-month investigation, police found many hours of video footage, which was maintained on the spa's server, according to testimony.

Officers interviewed about 100 spa patrons who reported they were unaware of the cameras, police said. The patrons, police said, were upset and felt violated.

The hearing officer said the testimony of a police sergeant and the spa's manager was consistent that there were no waivers or notices about cameras inside treatment rooms.

In December 2024, police received an anonymous tip about the hidden camera in the so-called smoke detector at the spa, which is at 49½ S. Washington Street. Reflexion opened in Hinsdale more than a decade ago.