Man who spied
on women in
bathroom avoids jail

By Lori Tighe
Star-Bulletin

Prosecutors and victims are disappointed at the lack of jail time for a photographer who for years videotaped his roommates and employees showering and using the bathroom.

"A lot of people did want him to be taught a lesson, including me," said Deputy Prosecutor Jeen Kwak. "I think jail would have done him good. I was disappointed and the victims were disappointed."

Warren Kawamoto, 37, of Honolulu was sentenced in a plea agreement to one year probation and $3,000 in fines for invasion of privacy -- a misdemeanor.

Kawamoto videotaped 10 roommates and employees using the toilet and shower in his Makiki house since 1991. Some people were unrecognizable on his tapes due to the camera angle, and police don't know if they may have been clients.

Since 1991 the photographer had asked his roommates and employees to use a certain bathroom on the third floor of his large Makiki home where he filmed them, Kwak said. He also had a pinhole camera in the toilet where he videotaped people.

One of his roommates noticed an object sticking out of the commode in April of 1998.

After police searched the house, Kawamoto turned over the camera and videotapes.

"He's seen everything -- using the bathroom, taking a shower, changing feminine products," one of the women said.

The women, who considered themselves to be the photographer's closest women friends, were shattered to discover he had filmed their most private moments for years.

"He not only abused our friendship and our trust in him, but he abused his professional privileges," said one of the roommates.

Kawamoto must go through treatment for his psychosexual disorder until he is clinically discharged, under the terms of his probation.

He must pay restitution to his three victims for their therapy bills.

Kawamoto must stay away from them, and write them a letter of apology.

District Judge Leslie Hayashi refused Kawamoto's request for a deferred acceptance of no contest, which would have wiped the crime off his record after probation.

Kawamoto pleaded no contest to three counts of privacy invasion involving two roommates and his assistant.

The crime is considered a misdemeanor. Although he taped 10 people since 1991, the state could only prosecute him for tapes going back two years due to the statute of limitations.

"His case was very rare," Kwak said. "I haven't heard of anything like this before."

But two other similar cases, including one involving a Waikiki Baskin-Robbins manager, followed Kawamoto's case.

The Legislature is now trying to pass a bill making such crimes a felony, punishable with a minimum of five years.