KOKOMO, Ind. — An Anderson man, who investigators said had more than 400 images of girls from the ages 9 through 16 on his Google account, has been charged with 5 counts of child exploitation, one count of child pornography and 13 counts of voyeurism.
Marcus Deweese Sr., 43, was arrested March 23 on preliminary charges related to allegations he used hidden video cameras in several locations, and viewed images of nude children from 2016 to 2021.
A probable cause affidavit obtained by 13News found the investigation started in January 2022, after information was provided by Google to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
After a search warrant was issued, investigators found on Deweese’s Google account more than 400 images that included girls from the ages of 9 through 16, according to the affidavit.
Police determined that some of the images were captured by a camera hidden inside a women’s restroom at Deweese’s place of employment, the affidavit said.
Investigators found Deweese made at least 140 recordings of females in different states of undress. Police also said Deweese had hidden cameras inside his Anderson home, and recorded sexual encounters with women without their knowledge.
Police claimed Deweese also recorded video of young girls undressing inside their own homes from 2016 to 2021.
Investigators said they identified 12 victims in total, and one remains unidentified.
Deweese told police he tended to put the hidden cameras in outlets, HVAC vents or closets. He also used screen recording technology to record child pornography from the social media site, Tumblr.
In situations where Deweese filmed sexual encounters between himself and another female, police found he would hide the camera prior to the encounter. He would often manually start the recording himself.
On March 23, The Hamilton County Metro Child Exploitation Task Force and members of the Fishers Police Department Special Investigations Unit executed a search warrant for Deweese's residence in the 2500 block of East Seventh Street in Anderson.
Investigators found hidden cameras in a bathroom and a bedroom, according to the affidavit. A black Samsung cell phone was hidden inside the exhaust fan of one bedroom, facing down where a toilet and shower were visible.
Inside a spare bedroom, police found a white multi-outlet that was plugged in with a hidden camera. There was also a black Android USBC charger with a built-in hidden camera that was discovered by police.
During an interview conducted after the search, Deweese told police his first Google account was shut down for suspicious activity in 2022. He then opened a second Google account to store the explicit images.
He told police he first placed a hidden camera in the bathroom of his former employer in 2016. That hidden camera was not automated to movement, but he would start the recording himself after seeing certain individuals go to the bathroom.
Deweese also admitted during that time he would activate the recordings because he wanted to see certain individuals in a state of undress, according to the probable cause affidavit.
He also told police he recorded his first underage victim when he saw her changing inside her home when he drove by, and recorded her outside her bedroom window. Deweese then drove police to that location himself after the interview.
At the time of the interview with police, Deweese still had access to a SeeCiTV account he allegedly used to remotely record and store secret hidden camera footage.
Police reiterated in the probable cause affidavit for Deweese's arrest that the true number or count of child pornography in his possession is unknown until they finish the investigation.