Photo: Carl Court/Getty Images
Yeah, I think I’ll stay at my local Days Inn.
Derek Starnes and his wife, from Indiana, decided to rent a home in Longboat Key, Florida through Airbnb. And all was fine and dandy until Derek noticed a tiny black hole on the smoke detector in the master bedroom. And when Derek researched even more he discovered that hole led to a camera and a microphone inside it. Oh boy. Derek quickly reached out to police.
Screengrab: LONGBOAT KEY POLICE
When police arrived they went on to find two smoke detector cameras hidden inside the home. They also seized computers and SD cards from the unit. Here’s what Lt. Bob Bourque told WFTS:
“We don’t know if there are local victims, someone who may have been dating, or a companion that doesn’t realize they are being videotaped. And then we have the other side of who he rented through Airbnb.”
Well the perv behind the cameras is 56-year-old Wayne Natt, who had been renting out his home through Airbnb for two years.
Natt was arrested and charged with video voyeurism. He was booked into the Manatee County Jail on Sept. 28 and released on bond. He allegedly told authorities that he installed the cameras to record sex parties he hosts at his home. Natt said the cameras were off when he was renting out the unit, but police said they found a video of Starnes and his wife on the device.
According to WFLA, investigators said the SD card also contained “a couple different people.”
Photo: LONGBOAT KEY POLICE
And here’s what Airbnb had to say:
“Our team has reached out to local law enforcement to aid them with their investigation of this egregious offense and we hope justice is served. We take privacy issues extremely seriously and have a zero-tolerance policy against this behavior.”
I’m going to put a tape over my webcam just to be safe.
