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Big Brother is watching.
The Knoxville News-Sentinel ^ | 9/25/2002 | Randy Kenner

Posted on 09/25/2002 9:38:23 PM PDT by simon says what

An Ohio man filed a $1.5 million lawsuit Tuesday against the Knoxville Marriott hotel after finding a hidden camera in a bathroom light fixture in July.

Bryan Brewer discovered the small video camera after noticing a tiny black spot - which he thought was an insect but turned out to be a hole - in the fixture, according to the lawsuit.

At the time Brewer, the vice president of a California company, was staying at the Marriott while on business.

His attorney, K.O. Herston, filed the lawsuit in Knox County Circuit Court. Named as defendants are Marriott International Inc. and Columbia Sussex Corp., a Fort Mitchell, Ky., corporation that operated at least 28 Marriotts with more than 8,500 rooms.

"The allegations have been turned over to the proper authorities, who we are cooperating with fully," said Doug Allen, the general manager of the downtown Marriott.

Allen declined to comment any further, citing an ongoing investigation by the Knox County Sheriff's Department. Brewer, contacted Tuesday, declined comment.

According to the lawsuit, Brewer, 27, discovered the camera on the morning of July 11.

"Thinking it might be an insect, Mr. Brewer swatted at the black spot, thereby inadvertently breaking the plastic cover on the light fixture," Herston wrote in the lawsuit. "He called the front desk, apologized and offered to pay for the fixture."

But while he was waiting for someone to fix the damage, Brewer noticed wires and discovered a small video camera.

A further look by security personnel confirmed that it was an elaborate, self-contained, video recording system.

"The video camera was connected to the bathroom light switch such that the camera would begin recording when the bathroom light was turned on and would stop recording when (it) was turned off," the lawsuit states.

Herston said that the equipment had a film of dust on it indicating that it had been there for some time. It also had a piece of tape on it indicating the room number, Room 253.

Herston said that Marriott employees let Brewer view the tape in their presence but refused to give it to him.

The tape and video equipment have been turned over to the Sheriff's Department.

The Sheriff's Department also has refused to give him the tape, Herston said.

He also said he's not sure why the Sheriff's Department is investigating the case since the Knoxville Police Department is next door to the Marriott.

Herston said the detective handling the case told him, "'All I know is that I was called to the scene and I responded to the call.'"

Marriott officials said they have inspected other rooms at the hotel but have refused to say what, if anything, was found, Herston said.

"There are a lot of questions and we need some answers," Herston said before adding, "How many other people were taped?"

Martha Dooley, a spokeswoman for the Sheriff's Department, said the reason the tape isn't being turned over is because, "It is an ongoing investigation."

As for the office handling the case, Dooley said, "We routinely answer calls from businesses and residences in the city as well as the county."

Someone from the hotel apparently called the Sheriff's Department directly.

KPD spokesman Darrell DeBusk said that KPD did not receive a call from the hotel.

The lawsuit contends that Brewer has suffered harm as a result of the discovery.

"In Mr. Brewer's case, he has become paranoid," Herston indicated. "He hates to travel now and that has caused tension at work since his job requires so much travel. When he does travel, he spends a lot of time going over every inch of his hotel room to make sure it is safe.

"This has really affected his career and well-being."

In addition to the $1.5 million in damages, Brewer also seeks the return of all copies of the videotaped recording of him.

Brewer has not been back in Knoxville since the incident.

"If he comes back, he certainly won't stay at the Marriott," Herston said.

Randy Kenner may be reached at 865-342-6305 or kenner@knews.com


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Front Page News; Government; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bigbrother; hiddencamera; marriott; taping; video
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Lawsuit setup ? Organized Crime ? Homeland Security ? If the hotel had found no more cameras, would they not say so ? Sometimes its what somebody says and sometimes its what somebody doesn't say.
1 posted on 09/25/2002 9:38:23 PM PDT by simon says what
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To: simon says what
probably just equipment left behind by some long-forgotten federal investigation...
2 posted on 09/25/2002 9:46:34 PM PDT by Chad Fairbanks
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To: simon says what
Alright Simon, I see you have just signed up today at FREEREPUBLIC.com so let me correct your post.

First of all the title of the article is NOT "Big Brother is Watching" as you posted. The title is: "Ohio man files $1.5M suit against Marriott." The sub-title is: "Hidden camera found in bathroom." The article was written "By Randy Kenner, News-Sentinel staff writer September 25, 2002"

Now, for my educated opinion. PERVERT(S) put the camera in the bathroom. Period.

3 posted on 09/25/2002 9:53:27 PM PDT by Cindy
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To: Chad Fairbanks
Yah, but in the bathroom? It is more than a kinky voyeur though. Perhaps a old sting op.
4 posted on 09/25/2002 9:54:45 PM PDT by Cold Heat
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To: wirestripper
Why not? Maybe some drug smuggler was taking care of business while he was taking care of 'business'...
5 posted on 09/25/2002 9:57:14 PM PDT by Chad Fairbanks
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To: Chad Fairbanks
No matter ....When in a hotel room, you have a reasonable expectation of privacy. And in a bathroom an absolute reasonable expectation of privacy. I say sue the bastards and then sue them some MORE !!! Make an example out of them. Enough is enough and if we want to protect our rights and privacy as afforded us in our Constitution...we need to stand up and be heard. Not just mealy mouths on the internet.
6 posted on 09/25/2002 9:57:20 PM PDT by MissL
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To: MissL
I certainly wasn't defending it...
7 posted on 09/25/2002 10:00:22 PM PDT by Chad Fairbanks
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To: Chad Fairbanks
I did not think you were...I was just ranting !!! But if we do not stop it now..there will be no end.
8 posted on 09/25/2002 10:01:42 PM PDT by MissL
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To: Chad Fairbanks
Yah, I'll buy that. The article said the camera had a room number on it. This indicates more than one room was bugged. They likely forgot it when they rolled it up.
9 posted on 09/25/2002 10:02:15 PM PDT by Cold Heat
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To: MissL
Take a chill pill!
10 posted on 09/25/2002 10:03:15 PM PDT by Cold Heat
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To: Chad Fairbanks
More like a current investigation if indeed government is the source. "A further look by security personnel confirmed that it was an elaborate, self-contained, video recording system." The video output was tape... couldn't be much of an investigation if you don't view what you're trying to investigate.
11 posted on 09/25/2002 10:04:52 PM PDT by simon says what
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To: Chad Fairbanks
Maybe. But reading the article I had the feeling it might be someone on the staff who installed the camera.

Hotel/motel staff can spend time in such rooms and not arouse - sorry for the pun! - suspicion.

Some of the people who choose to work in the "Hospitality Industry" are very intelligent and capable technically (hobbies & military training) of installing such a device.

12 posted on 09/25/2002 10:05:24 PM PDT by goody2shooz
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To: MissL
Ok... let me throw a hypothetical out there, just for the sake of discussion - what if the hotel, faced with a court order allowing law enforcement agencies to survail several rooms, and the LEOs leave some stuff behind? Would the hotel be liable?

I tend to think this was an honest mistake... If not, then the hotel has some 'splaining to do...
13 posted on 09/25/2002 10:09:15 PM PDT by Chad Fairbanks
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To: goody2shooz
Some of the people who choose to work in the "Hospitality Industry" are very intelligent and capable technically (hobbies & military training) of installing such a device.

Not likely, this was a overhead view. Voyeurs drill holes in the shower from the crawl space etc.

This had dust on it and was likely out of tape for months. The guy is a weeny!

14 posted on 09/25/2002 10:10:01 PM PDT by Cold Heat
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To: Cindy
Yeah I saw after I posted mine seemed a little different from the rest. Newby painted all over me... my apologies! Damn yahoo message boards corrupted me. The article did motivate me to post for the first time though... thought it disturbing.
15 posted on 09/25/2002 10:11:08 PM PDT by simon says what
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To: goody2shooz
Sure, that's a possibility... but if they were truely intelligent and such, they'd have figured out a way to make it a live web cam - tape is just so, well, old-fashioned...
16 posted on 09/25/2002 10:11:51 PM PDT by Chad Fairbanks
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To: Chad Fairbanks
You want to give up your rights for an honest mistake? What if it was your house? Your phone? Mistaken address? It has happened. Would you be so generous? I think you would be screaming. True? If you don't stand up for your rights, no one will stand up for you.
17 posted on 09/25/2002 10:14:20 PM PDT by MissL
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To: Cindy
Certainly it's a pervert. Anyone can obtain this type of equipment in "spy shops" or on the internet. Pop up ads for small video cameras come up all the time. My only question is did the voyeur have a camera in the hotel bedroom as well?

18 posted on 09/25/2002 10:19:47 PM PDT by motexva
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To: wirestripper
This had dust on it and was likely out of tape for months.

Well as he saw what was on the tape, and is now requesting handover of all copes of the tape showing him, I'd saw the system is still spying away

19 posted on 09/25/2002 10:25:35 PM PDT by Oztrich Boy
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To: motexva
If it is a pervert, why label the room number? The label was there so whoever was changing the tape could write where it came from as it was put in the case. Why would somebody want to know the room number except to compare it to who stayed in the room. A pervert could care less about the room number. A pervert wants T&A. A current government surveillance, foreign entity, or organized criminal activity is behind this in my opinion.
20 posted on 09/25/2002 10:28:14 PM PDT by simon says what
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