Posted on: Saturday, May 14, 2005

Man convicted of taping sex acts

By Ken Kobayashi
Advertiser Courts Writer

A 23-year-old Salt Lake man found guilty of secretly videotaping his roommate in his bedroom engaging in sex has become the first person convicted of a felony under the state's privacy laws.

Jason Turner, an Air Force man stationed at Hickam Air Force Base, was found guilty of videotaping his 20-year-old roommate last year with a camera hidden in an alarm clock-radio in the roommate's bedroom.

The roommate was taped having sex on multiple occasions. The incidents included separate encounters involving sex with different women. He was also taped with a third woman who was only partially dressed.

Turner's defense was that he didn't tape the roommate but rather that the roommate had taped himself and the women.

But a Circuit Court jury needed only about two hours of deliberations Thursday and yesterday before finding Turner guilty on four counts of violating the privacy of the roommate and three women. The jury was shown portions of videotapes with the roommate and the women engaged in sex.

In these times of more sophisticated recording devices, the state privacy law was amended last year to make clear it is a felony to secretly use any device that videotapes a person "in a stage of undress" or engaged in sexual activity. Each count carries a prison term of up to five years.

During the trial, Turner testified he paid more than $400 for the clock-radio with a hidden camera and transmitting and receiving devices.

An Aug. 15 sentence date was set in Circuit Judge Steven Alm's courtroom.

Deputy Attorney General Trish Morikawa said she will ask for a five-year prison term because of the seriousness of the offense and because the victims want to see Turner punished.

Morikawa said the roommate was angry, upset and embarrassed when he learned about the tapes.

"It was a really hard case for the victims to testify to," she said.

Turner showed no emotion when the verdicts were announced. Later, he declined to comment as he left the courtroom. He is free on bond.

"He's obviously greatly disappointed," Deputy Public Defender Ed Harada said.

Harada said Turner had no prior criminal record, volunteers for community activities and has been recommended for promotions in the Air Force.

The defense lawyer said he doesn't consider the harm to be the same as in other felony cases involving broken bones or serious injuries. "You got to take it in perspective and put it in context," Harada said. "I don't think five years is warranted."

Reach Ken Kobayashi at kkobayashi@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8030.