Michael McKenna of West Hartford, arrested on campus on Sunday, Feb. 17 on charges of breach of peace, voyeurism, and criminal trespass, was released under a $15,000 non-surety bond, according to an official arraignment report. McKenna allegedly attempted to videotape at least one female in a women’s restroom in Olin library. When McKenna’s car was searched, he was found to be in possession of a digital camera containing 14 separate videos showing the inside of a bathroom stall, some of which also showed what appeared to be females using the toilet.
McKenna was questioned by Public Safety (PSafe) officers and officer Joshua Ward of the Middletown Police Department (MPD) on Sunday night in the stacks on the second floor of Olin Library after one anonymous female student reported noticing a camera pointed at her when she entered a stall in a third-floor restroom. The student promptly called PSafe, who reportedly arrived within minutes, followed soon after by Ward.
According to the arraignment report, McKenna cooperated with police when they requested to search his car and camera. McKenna was arrested at approximately 8 p.m. on the corner of High and Court streets. During questioning following his arrest, McKenna reported having a personal computer on which he stores and shares videos of females using the bathroom.
“He stated that he is not proud of his fetish but he can not [sic] help it,” the report read. “McKenna stated that its [sic] the act of what females are doing that gives him the sexual arousal.”
The report also states that McKenna admitted that he had previously been asked to leave the campus of Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH, when he was identified as a non-student. McKenna did not specify whether or not he recorded or attempted to record females using the bathroom at Dartmouth College.
President Michael Roth reacted to the incident:
“Public Safety and the Middletown Police deserve our thanks for the way they handled it,” Roth said. “It’s a bad thing, and I’m glad they caught the alleged perpetrator.”
The story of McKenna’s arrest has received attention from many media outlets such as NBC Connecticut and CBS Local.
McKenna is scheduled to be tried in court on March 4.