Man Charged With Unlawful Filming At Mall Had 2 Years Of 'Concerning Videos And Photos'

WOODBRIDGE, VA — A man was arrested and charged with unlawful filming at the Forever 21 store in the Potomac Mills mall last week, according to the Prince William County Police Department. Authorities said the man used his phone to record a patron through a gap in a dressing room wall.

The police department identified the man as Chein Nan Chen, a 35-year-old man from Oakton. He was charged with one count of unlawful filming and is being held without bond at the Prince William County Adult Detention Center.

Employees at the Forever 21 called police around 2:45 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 22. They reported that a man, who was later identified as Chen, was in the store's dressing room area and filming customers in adjacent dressing rooms.

The employees reported that the man was placing his phone through a gap where the partition walls met the floor to record the other customers. When officers arrived the scene, Chen was still in the dressing room, according to the police report. He was detained and officers obtained his cell phone, authorities said.

The phone contained several "concerning photos and videos" that spanned the course of two years, authorities said in their report. Detectives are now working to identify the other people who were filmed and where the offenses occurred.

Photo courtesy of the Prince Wiliam County Police Department.

Anyone who may have more information about the filming incidents can contact the Prince William County Police Department's tipline at 703-792-7000. Tips can also be submitted online.

Resources are available for people who are victims of sexual assaults. The National Sexual Assault Hotline is available 24/7 by calling 1-800-656-4673. More resources are available online.