Roommate is guilty of
covertly taping sex

A Circuit Court jury convicted a 23-year-old Salt Lake man of covertly videotaping his roommate's sexual activities using a camera hidden in a clock radio.

Jason Turner, an airman first class, was found guilty as charged with four counts of first-degree invasion of privacy, with each count punishable by five years in prison.

Turner's attorney, deputy public defender Ed Harada, said they were disappointed with the verdict, noting it would not help his career in the Air Force. "He just got caught up in something, to his detriment," Harada said.

Deputy Attorney General Trish Morikawa said they were relieved that the jury decided in the victim's favor.

"It was rough for the victim to testify about the situation," she said.

Joseph Tripp shared a two-bedroom apartment with Turner and maintained he did not know about the hidden camera until after a friend of his sister's came to visit in April 2004. During that visit, Turner allegedly showed the friend videos that he claimed Tripp had taken of himself, and a Web site with more photos of Tripp.

Turner denied videotaping his roommate, claiming Tripp knew about the hidden camera from the start and that it had been his idea to tape himself and make money uploading his photos to a gay porn Web site. He claimed there was an agreement between them to split the profits, with Turner getting 10 percent.

At Turner's sentencing on Aug. 15, Harada said he would ask that Turner, who has no prior criminal history and is an active volunteer in the community, be placed on probation.