A man charged with secretly recording dozens of nude women in tanning booths at a gym in San Luis Obispo County has been allowed to roam the streets due to California’s lax laws.
Kyle L. Combs, 40, of Grover Beach, allegedly filmed nearly 50 partially or fully nude women in tanning booths at a Planet Fitness location in Arroyo Grande from July to December of last year, authorities said.
The San Luis Obispo County district attorney’s office announced on Friday that Combs had been hit with 12 misdemeanor counts of invasion of privacy and and arrest warrant had been issues.
The DA noted that the public “may be justifiably disturbed to learn that, under current California law, allegations involving secretly recording multiple nude victims in private tanning booths are generally chargeable only as misdemeanors unless additional circumstances exist.”
If Combs had initially been charged with any felony counts, cops have taken him into custody immediately.
“If the public believes this conduct should be punishable as a felony, that change must come from the California Legislature,” the DA added.
Prosecutors also believe there may be other instances of Combs recording women at the location, but the statute of limitations has passed.
Cops discovered more than 50 videos of 47 victims on Combs’ phone, the San Luis Obispo Tribune reported. Since April, eight women have sued the suspect and Planet Fitness over the alleged filming.
One of the lawsuits claims Combs was caught sticking his phone in the tanning booths and picking locks on changing room doors.
“Secretly recording women while they are nude inside tanning booths is a deeply disturbing violation of privacy, dignity, and personal security,” San Luis Obispo County DA Dan Dow said in a statement. “People using a gym or fitness center should never have to fear that they are being watched or recorded in one of their most private moments. Our office will continue to work with law enforcement to hold offenders accountable and to seek justice for every victim.”
Combs did not appear in county arrest records as of Saturday morning. His arrest warrant has been signed by a judge and his bail set at $50,000.
Dow is urging any other women who used the tanning or red-light therapy rooms to contact police.
