A University of Florida professor was arrested Friday on charges of video voyeurism for allegedly using a video pen to secretly make recordings of female students.
Cops were notified earlier this month about 65-year-old Don Samuelson when a student noticed that she was being videotaped. A subsequent search of Samuelson’s office turned up the camera pen, which was equipped with an integrated USB thumb drive.
Among the videos uncovered were two clips in which Samuelson was using the pen to film up two student’s skirts. When he was read his Miranda rights, he defended his actions by stating that he was attempting to gather evidence that one of the students was “inappropriately” not wearing undergarments.
Other videos found included conversations held with other female students and close-ups of cleavage which he later confessed to, saying he did it for his “amusement, entertainment, sexual arousal or gratification,” according to police reports.
A spokeswoman for UF explained that Samuelson had been placed on administrative leave due to the ongoing investigation. “In a situation such as this one with serious allegations, the appropriate action to pursue would be termination.”
If convicted of the voyeurism charges, Samuelson, who’s been employed at the University since 1978 and is a tenured faculty member, faces a maximum of five years in prison on each felony count.
