A high school teacher in Glendale, Arizona, stands accused of installing numerous hidden cameras on campus grounds to record students in changing rooms and putting them in the situation to do so to boost their grades.
Independence High School special needs teacher Estevan Carreon, 53, allegedly recruited six students between the ages of 15-17 Monday to participate in an opportunity for extra credit where pupils would try on different outfits, and then secretly filmed them as they changed, AZFamily reported. (RELATED: REPORT: Middle School Teacher Allegedly Sent $50 To 13-Year-Old Student For Nude Pictures)
While one student was changing in the designated changing room, the teenager uncovered a charger plugged into the wall which was actually a “hidden spy camera,” according to the outlet. Students went on to discover two more, one of which doubled as a clock on the wall, the outlet reported.
Our @GlendaleAZPD detectives arrested area high school teacher Estevan Carreon, accusing him of covertly recording students as they undressed.
We are so proud of our officers and detectives for moving quickly to protect the community 👍🏻 pic.twitter.com/QifVcVfl7I
— Glendale Arizona FOP Lodge 12 (@GlendaleFOP12) March 26, 2024
Carreon later found the outlet missing and allegedly accused the students of stealing items that “belonged to the janitor,” AZFamily reported. He then allegedly told the teens that he could “go to jail for a long time if they did not return the item.” (RELATED: California Man Arrested After Wife Reports Husband For Having Hidden Camera Filming Company, Kids Using Guest Bathroom)
In an attempt to wipe the hidden cameras, the teacher allegedly removed them and uploaded the content onto a computer, barring the students from watching the videos. Those contents were later recovered, the outlet noted.
One student left school with one of the devices that day and showed it to his parents, who then got in touch with the Glendale Police Department. Carreon himself was allegedly caught on camera installing the devices, court documents read, according to AZFamily.
Happy Friday! Today we’re excited to feature Estevan Carreon, a @CalCasInsurance Awardee for Teaching Excellence from Arizona!
Estevan is a high school special education educator from Glendale. We salute him for his hard work and commitment to excellence in #publicEd! pic.twitter.com/SggOa03uRm
— The NEA Foundation (@NEAFoundation) November 11, 2022
Since the Monday incident, the educator has been placed on leave by Independence High School administrators. The high school teacher is being charged by police with several sex crimes as well as additional charges of recording without consent.
In 2022, Carreon received a teaching excellence award granted by the National Education Association Foundation.