Florida church overseer arrested on voyeurism charges after laptop find

An “overseer” at a Fruitland Park, Florida, church was arrested on video voyeurism charges after images from the church’s bathroom and another area were found on the suspect’s work laptop, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities arrested 59-year-old Charles Barton Lucas on Friday after the IT director at RoMac Building Supply contacted the Leesburg Police Department after finding a Google Drive folder full of inappropriate images of adolescent girls and adult women. A statement from RoMac confirmed that Lucas was no longer employed at the company following the incident.

“The material was discovered by our team during a routine company process and was immediately reported to law enforcement. We have cooperated fully with the authorities from the outset and will continue to do so. Mr. Lucas is no longer employed by RoMac,” the statement read in part.

A spokesperson for the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that investigators found more videos of what appeared to be adolescent girls changing inside a church bathroom. Further investigation determined that the videos came from a hidden camera installed in one of the church’s changing rooms and bathrooms.

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The cameras were no longer present when the Lake County Sheriff’s Office went back to inspect the bathroom.

Lucas was arrested on Friday evening and taken to Lake County Jail, but was released on a $25,000 bond on Saturday afternoon, according to the sheriff’s office.

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Authorities found that Lucas had a Google Drive folder full of inappropriate videos taken in the church’s bathroom on his work computer. (Google Earth)

An arrest affidavit from the sheriff’s office said Lucas was listed as an “Overseer” at Fruitland Park’s Heritage Community Church. The church released a statement saying that they were “praying for [Lucas] and his family” amid the investigation, but later issued a follow-up statement highlighting their concerns for those impacted.

“Our primary concern is for any individuals or families who may have been impacted by these allegations. We recognize the seriousness of situations like this and the deep hurt, confusion, and pain they can cause,” the church said in part of a statement to FOX35 Orlando.

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“Heritage Community Church does not condone conduct that harms others or is inconsistent with our biblical values. We are fully cooperating with law enforcement and any other appropriate authorities and will continue to do so throughout this process. While we await additional information, Heritage Community Church is committed to being open, honest, and transparent with our church family regarding information that we are able to share” the statement continued.

The investigation remains ongoing and Digital has reached out to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office for further comment.