Multiple Children Secretly Filmed In Chevy Chase Bathroom: Police

CHEVY CHASE, MD — A Chevy Chase man already accused of filming people in a gym studio restroom faces more charges and police say many children may be victims. Jonathan Oldale, 54, was initially charged on Oct. 18 with conducting visual surveillance of another person in a private place without consent, Montgomery County Police said. On Friday, he was arrested on a new charge of production of child pornography; at least 30 children were reportedly filmed in the bathroom of his house.

The United States Attorney's office for the District of Maryland said the indictment followed the examination of SD memory cards seized from Oldale’s office, which contained hundreds of videos filmed in the bathroom of his residence. Prosecutors say the videos show multiple cameras were used to record activities in the bathroom and depict children taking off their clothes or bathing suits, taking showers, and getting dressed.

Investigators say that when children attended “splash parties” at Oldale’s residence, the children would become covered in grass. According to a witness, Oldale made children take showers before they went home.

A search warrant executed at Oldale’s home showed he used a Web browser that enables anonymous communication and access to the “dark web.” The distribution and sharing of child exploitation images and videos is one illegal activity known to take place on the “dark web,” authorities said.

Oldale faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison for production of child pornography if he is convicted.

Montgomery County Police said previously that Oldale set up a video camera in the restroom at Silver Star Gymnastics and Fitness Club, 2701 Pittman Drive in Silver Spring. The attempted filming at the gymnastics studio was reported May 5, 2017, by an employee. About three weeks earlier, the staffer told police, he noticed a backpack with cords and wires inside it on the floor of the studio's unisex bathroom. As the employee left the bathroom he was approached by Oldale, whose children are enrolled in gymnastics classes at the studio. Oldale said the bag belonged to him and took it.

See Related: Man Secretly Filmed In Gymnastics Studio's Restroom: Police

On the day he called police, the employee said the same backpack was positioned underneath a "Wet Floor" sign on the bathroom floor. A camera had been placed inside what appeared to be an automobile key fob and a light on the camera was illuminated, leading the staffer to think it was turned on.

Authorities say the employee took the camera out the backpack to see if anyone would retrieve it. Oldale was reportedly seen taking the bag from the restroom. He then went to the club's front desk twice to ask if anyone had turned in a key fob.

During a search of Oldale's home and vehicle, investigators reportedly found an instruction manual for a key fob camera in Oldale's vehicle. An exam of a computer in his home turned up two videos of unidentified school-age girls being surreptitiously recorded while they were urinating in a bathroom.

Police say those recordings appear to have been downloaded from the Internet. To date, detectives have not located videos that include victims from the gymnastics studio.

If you have an immediate concern about your children, please email SVID Lieutenant Sheila Sugrue (sheila.sugrue@montgomerycountymd.gov). Due to fact this is an active investigation, it may not be possible to comment on certain specifics of the case, police said.

Photo: Suspect Jonathan Oldale courtesy of Montgomery County Police