Police recently arrested a New York man who allegedly spied on couples having sex at a motel in Fort Lee, NJ.

According to Fort Lee officials, the suspect attempted to take photos of a man and a woman who were occupying a room at the Skyview Motel on Bergen Boulevard in Fort Lee, New Jersey. At the time, the couple was naked and in the middle of having sex.

The suspect allegedly gained access to the room by opening a window. He then allegedly moved a curtain to one side of the window, stuck his hand inside, and used a camera to snap photographs of the nude couple.

The victims reportedly stopped when they noticed the suspect, prompting him to run to the parking lot and leave the scene in black Toyota Sienna. The victims managed to get the vehicle’s license plate number and also saw that it had a New York Volunteer Ambulance Service license plate.

Fort Lee police officers investigated the incident and were soon able to identify the 54-year-old suspect as the likely culprit. He was later placed under arrest.

The suspect, who lives in Spring Valley, NY, faces criminal charges for invasion of privacy.

If the suspect is eventually convicted on the criminal charges, he faces severe penalties. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:14-9, anyone who unlawfully observes another person engaging in sexual contact without that person’s consent can be charged with a fourth degree crime. A conviction on fourth degree invasion of privacy charges could lead to a sentence of up to 18 months in New Jersey State Prison.

When an individual photographs, videotapes, or otherwise records images of someone else engaged in an act of sexual contact, the criminal charges can potentially be elevated to a third degree felony and result in a sentence of 3-5 years in state prison. In this case, the suspect is subject to third degree invasion of privacy charges because he is accused of using a camera to take photos of the couple having sex.

After being arrested and charged, the suspect secured his release from police custody with a summons to make an appearance in Bergen County Superior Court, which is located in Hackensack.

For more information about this case, read the NJ.com article, “New York Man Peeped on Nude Motel Guests, Police Say.”