By admin 
TEMPE, AZ (AZFamily) — A former school surveillance officer has entered his plea after authorities say he downloaded footage that showed underage girls undressing at an East Valley high school.
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A not guilty plea was entered on behalf of Antony Cruz, 28, during Thursday’s court appearance. His next court date was set for the morning of Oct. 20.
Cruz is facing seven counts of voyeurism and is being held on a $100,000 cash-only bond.
Per the judge’s ruling, Cruz was not filmed or photographed during the hearing.
District says room was not for changing
Cruz, who worked as a surveillance officer for the Tempe Union High School District, allegedly gained access to cameras that were recording a room of young teen girls undressing at Corona del Sol High School.
Police noted in the court paperwork that staff and students requested the cameras be turned off for privacy, but they were left on and recording the room.
Authorities said Cruz did not notify school staff or law enforcement of the camera exposing the girls. Instead, Cruz reportedly downloaded several videos, with at least seven showing young girls’ changing in and out of their clothes.
Court documents state that the room was being used temporarily as a changing room for students because the girls’ locker room was closed for renovations.
District officials said the space is a dance room, not a locker room, and was never designated by the district as a place for students to change clothes.
During recent locker room renovations, the district said it approved a request from Corona del Sol High School to set up a separate, camera-free location for students to change. Officials said the dance room was not one of the approved locations.
A security camera was installed in the room in 2024 for campus safety purposes.
Parents react at school board meeting
Parents who spoke at Wednesday night’s school board meeting were visibly upset, wondering if their children are victims.
“He’s been charged with seven counts of voyeurism, but I believe from this long, almost one-month period, that there are many more counts he should be charged with, and so I ask the district please disclose this information so we can find out the full breadth of the victims,” one parent said.
Parents demanded to know what district officials know about the camera, the footage, and how many students may be victims.
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“The story that is unfolding at Corona del Sol involves a camera that was meant to protect student athletes on campus. Instead, it was used by a security officer to prey on vulnerable girls,” one speaker told the board.
Parents said they have had to search for answers themselves.
“Mr. Cruz will be dealt with by the police and the courts. But as for the governing board, you are responsible for holding district leadership accountable,” another speaker told the board.
One parent said she wants information from the district in a timely manner.
“I just wish that I could get this information and get it timely so I can determine if my young daughter is an actual victim of this guy,” she said.
Psychologist discusses impact on students
Child psychologist Michael Klinkner said even students who were not directly affected can experience secondary trauma.
“We can see a lot of distrust from those students. We can see a lot of anger come about. We can see some shutdown. We can see them potentially lashing out on previously trusted figures because now if I can’t trust those people from the school, who can I trust?” Klinkner said.
Klinkner said students connected to those affected can also be impacted.
“Even if your child wasn’t directly affected by it, their best friend might have been. And that’s a big deal because now your kid is texting or FaceTiming or whatever with their best friend who might be going through it,” Klinkner said.
Klinkner said students who do not know whether they were victims should also be supported.
“Validate and support those kids too. It’s really a big deal that can honestly have long-lasting impacts,” Klinkner said.
Cruz will be back in court next month. Parents say they want the district to provide more information about the investigation and the potential number of victims.
The district has opened an internal investigation into the matter.
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