Police Arrest Columbia Man For Secretly Videotaping Women
COLUMBIA, Md. (WJZ)--Howard County police have arrested a Columbia man for secretly videotaping two women in
their home over the last few months.
Michael Stephen McKenny, 42, was charged Thursday night with multiple counts of burglary, visual surveillance with prurient intent and videotaping a person in a private residence without consent.
On Thursday, police released video clips of an unknown suspect whose image was captured on a video camera he had hidden in a private residence to secretly record two women in their bedrooms and bathroom. The women had recently discovered the concealed video camera and turned it over to police.
Detectives received numerous tips after the release of the video that led them to quickly identify McKenny as a suspect. They served search warrants on his home and vehicle Thursday night and took him into custody without incident. Officers seized undisclosed evidence in the execution of the search warrants.
Investigators believe McKenny knew the identities of both of the women and had stolen and copied the key to their condominium in the 8300-block of Montgomery Run Road in Ellicott City. With the key, he was able to get in and out of the condo with no forced entry.
Through investigation and review of the video footage, police know that the camera was first set up in late June to record the bedroom of one victim. Over the next few months, police say McKenny reentered the condo multiple times to move the camera to record the other victim's bedroom and bathroom. It appears his entry into the residence occurred during daytime hours.
During the investigation, police observed two other unidentified women on the video camera who had been recorded in an unknown residential bathroom. This footage was unrelated to the images from the condominium. The women have now been identified and will be notified of the investigation.
McKenny is being held at the Howard County Detention Center on $100,000 bond.
Detectives will continue to investigate if there may be other victims who were recorded without their knowledge.
Anyone with information should call police at 410-313-3200.
