What began as a single arrest at a Tempe, Arizona high school has grown into one of the most serious school-based voyeurism cases in recent memory. Investigators have now identified dozens of victims and added nearly 100 new criminal charges against a former school employee.
Anthony Cruz, a former employee at Tempe‘s Corona Del Sol High School, was first arrested in August and charged with seven counts of voyeurism. But an expanded investigation by Tempe police has dramatically widened the scope of the case. Authorities announced they have now identified 38 victims — all girls — who were filmed without their knowledge while changing in the school’s dance room.
The dance room was being used as an alternative changing space while the girls’ locker room was under renovation. A security camera, originally installed to monitor an exterior door, had been left on by mistake — and Cruz allegedly exploited that error to download the footage.
Tempe Police Officer Jessica Ells explained the findings at a recent press briefing:
“We were essentially able to identify a total of 38 victims, and from those victims, we were able to add 98 more counts of voyeurism, which is a Class 5 felony.”
Officer Ells also addressed concerns that students may have had any way to protect themselves. She emphasized that the camera was not supposed to be active at all, and that the situation was entirely beyond the control of the victims.
She said there was nothing students could have done to prevent themselves from being victimized.
Additional Charges Beyond the School Case
Cruz’s legal troubles extend beyond the voyeurism allegations tied to the school. He is also facing two separate counts of bestiality related to the possession of illegal animal sex videos — charges that are entirely unrelated to the incidents at Corona Del Sol.
The voyeurism charges each carry the weight of a Class 5 felony under Arizona law. With 98 counts added to the original seven, Cruz now faces a total of 105 voyeurism counts, along with the two bestiality charges.
The case falls under the broader umbrella of K-12 education safety and has drawn significant attention to how school surveillance equipment is managed and monitored. For more local coverage from the Tempe area, including recent reports on criminal damage at a border wall construction company’s local office and debates over automatic license plate reader technology, the KJZZ education desk continues to follow developments across the region.
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