By admin 
TEMPE, AZ (AZFamily) — A Tempe Union High School District surveillance officer accused of misusing security cameras to watch underage girls in a locker room made his initial court appearance Sunday morning, where a judge set his bond far higher than what prosecutors had requested.
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Investigators said Antony Cruz, who has no prior criminal history, used security cameras to view and download videos of girls ages 13 to 15 who were in the process of changing their clothes.
It happened in a room at Corona del Sol High School that was being used as a temporary locker room while the school’s main locker room was under renovation, according to prosecutors.
The cameras were supposed to be disabled, but prosecutors said there is strong evidence that Cruz viewed and downloaded the videos to his personal device.
Cruz faces seven counts of voyeurism.
During the hearing, the judge set a $100,000 cash-only appearance bond, citing community safety concerns. Prosecutors had initially recommended a $25,000 bond.
Tempe Union High School District Superintendent Stacia Wilson said Cruz had been placed on administrative leave on Friday before the school day began. He was arrested Saturday.
“We know that this is a distressing situation and these details are unsettling to our families,” Wilson said in a statement. “We want to be as transparent as we are allowed to be without disrupting Tempe PD’s investigation.”
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Wilson said it appears that the “inappropriate usage of security footage was isolated to one camera on campus.”
Wilson said Tempe police will be on campus Monday to identify the victims.
“Once victims have been identified, Tempe PD will reach out directly to affected families to begin the interview process,” Wilson said.
The investigation is ongoing.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story and headline incorrectly stated that Cruz filmed the videos. Cruz is accused of downloading videos from preexisting security cameras, not filming them himself. The story has been corrected.
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