A Texas couple is suing a Maryland man for $75,000 after he allegedly planted hidden cameras inside multiple rooms of an Airbnb they rented in August 2022.
The lawsuit, filed by Kayelee Gates and her fiancé, Christian Capraro, alleges an invasion of privacy perpetrated by the property owner Christoper Goisse.
The couple stumbled upon the hidden cameras in the bathroom while engaging in intimate relations, causing them immediate distress and shock, according to court documents.
Recalling the distressing moment, Gates said, ‘I went into pure panic, pure shock mode.’
The couple was ‘intimate while in the shared bathroom’ then ‘laid down on the bed, put a movie on and began to relax,’ according to court documents obtained by Fox 5.
A Texas couple, Kayelee Gates (right) and her fiancé Christian Capraro (left), is suing a Maryland man for $75,000 after he allegedly planted hidden cameras in their Airbnb
The couple stumbled upon the hidden cameras in the bathroom while engaging in intimate relations, causing them immediate distress and shock, according to court documents
It was at this point that they noticed a smoke detector positioned above the bed in the center of the ceiling and another one in the corner, arousing their suspicion.
Upon closer inspection, they discovered that these smoke detectors were, in fact, what they believe to be cleverly disguised hidden cameras.
Their suspicions grew when they found an identical device in the bathroom.
‘Like, I can feel my heart start beating really heavy and fluttery whenever I start thinking about a situation. Whenever I start thinking about the situation – I get a little shaky even talking about it.’
Gates expressed the emotional turmoil that came following the unsettling revelation of the surreptitiously placed cameras, stating, ‘I definitely have had many cry sessions about it.’
Describing feelings of ’embarrassment, humiliation, disgrace, and loss of dignity,’ Gates said she left the Airbnb immediately to seek accommodation at a hotel and promptly reported the matter to the police.
In response to their report, law enforcement officers investigated the residence and found another video recording device camouflaged as a smoke detector in the basement, where another guest was staying.
Dan Whitney, a Maryland attorney, voiced concerns about the potential dissemination of the recorded material, stating, ‘Now it’s a Pandora’s box of uncertainty.’
‘Once that box is open, once that recording is made, it’s impossible to know where it went, who sent it, has it been shared, has it gone on the internet?,’ he added.
Upon closer inspection, they discovered that these smoke detectors were, in fact, cleverly disguised hidden cameras
Goisse had denied any wrongdoing when confronted about the incident a year ago by Fox 5.
He suggested the possibility that the guest might have planted the devices themselves, before reporting the matter to the police.
The lawsuit contends that Goisse obstructed the investigation by refusing to allow the Montgomery County Police Department to search his twin brother Larry’s bedroom, which had been locked at the time.
The suit goes on to claim that Larry emerged later, after potentially destroying evidence.
The incident has left the couple with lingering anxieties about their privacy.
Gates said: ‘It gives me the heebie-jeebies not knowing if someone looks at me weird if there’s a potential they have seen it. That always lurks in the back of my head every time I meet somebody.’
In response to the distress caused by this incident, the Texas couple is seeking $75,000 in damages to address the stress and strain they have endured.
The Airbnb owner, Goisse, has 30 days to respond to the lawsuit.
Katelyn Boss (left) and her friend Rachel Horman (right) received a full refund and a free seven day stay in another Airbnb property earlier this month when they claimed to have found a ‘spy camera’ that had filmed them undressing by the mirror
The TikToker claimed the hidden camera was pointed towards the mirror to get a full view of the bedroom in their Airbnb. The social media influencer later said Airbnb had decided to ‘close the case’ and that she was still unsure whether any cameras were found
Earlier this month, two women called the cops after ‘finding spy camera in AirBnB that had filmed them undressing by the mirror.’
In footage posted on the social media site, Katelyn Boss, 22, uncovers the suspected camera concealed in a light fitting in a rental property in Miami, Florida.
In the video, which now has 12.5 million views, the social media manager films while her friend, Rachel Horman, 22, calls 911.
The two friends from Utah noticed something suspicious about the about the bedroom light fittings before taking a closer look.
The influencer claimed one of the lights was pointed towards the bedroom mirror, in front of which the pair had both changed their clothes.
Airbnb gave the two friends a full refund and paid for a week’s stay in an entirely new property – but the social media influencer later said Airbnb had decided to ‘close the case’ and that she was still unsure whether any cameras were found