Sean Smith, a man who lives life dressed as a woman and goes by the name Shauna Smith, was formally charged with the crime of video voyeurism in an Idaho Falls court room Wednesday.
He appeared in court via video:
East Idaho News has details of the alleged crime:
An affidavit of probable cause states the 18-year-old woman was trying on swimwear at the Target on 25th East when someone in an adjacent fitting room held an iPhone over the top of the barrier and began taking photos or video recording.
“The victim’s mother confronted the suspect, who immediately fled on foot. Both (the victim and victim’s mother) described the suspect as a white male who was wearing a dress and a blonde wig. A witness observed the suspect get into a vehicle and leave the area,” court documents state.
Bonneville County detectives learned the vehicle was registered to Smith. When an investigator arrived at Smith’s home, documents state “the defendant’s roommate told (the investigator) her roommate is a transgender male who identifies as a female, Shauna Smith.”
The detective showed the roommate surveillance still photos of the suspect from Target and the roommate identified the suspect’s clothing as that of Smith’s, according to documents.
Deputies interviewed Smith and “the defendant eventually admitted to me that she had made videos in the past of women undressing. The defendant told (the detective) that she makes these videos for the ‘same reason men go online to look at pornography,’” documents state.
Target’s transgender policy was formalized earlier this year:
We believe that everyone — every team member, every guest, and every community — deserves to be protected from discrimination, and treated equally. Consistent with this belief, Target supports the federal Equality Act, which provides protections to LGBT individuals, and opposes action that enables discrimination.
In our stores, we demonstrate our commitment to an inclusive experience in many ways. Most relevant for the conversations currently underway, we welcome transgender team members and guests to use the restroom or fitting room facility that corresponds with their gender identity.
Target has been the focus of a boycott since April over their transgender bathroom policies. The American Family Association framed Target’s policy this way:
This means a man can simply say he “feels like a woman today” and enter the women’s restroom…even if young girls or women are already in there. Target’s policy is exactly how sexual predators get access to their victims. And with Target publicly boasting that men can enter women’s bathrooms, where do you think predators are going to go?
Target’s response, at the time, was for AFA and those who signed the petition, to pound sand:
“We took a stance, and we’re going to continue to embrace our belief of diversity and inclusion, just how important that is to our company, but we’re also going to make sure our focus on safety is unwavering.”
Smith is being tried as a man, (you know… because he is, in fact, a man) and is currently held on $30,000 bond.
In May, the Obama Administration determined transgender rights to be a civil right and has begun the process of forcing the same kind of policy Target employs on public schools across the country.
If you missed the link to the boycott above, I’ll just leave it right here.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member