North Little Rock man sentenced to 15 years for using a secret bathroom camera to spy on daughters, their friends

FILE — The Pulaski County Courthouse is shown in this 2019 file photo.
FILE — The Pulaski County Courthouse is shown in this 2019 file photo.

A 51-year-old North Little Rock father of two who spied on his teenage daughter's friends and other visitors in his bathroom using a secret camera has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for video voyeurism.

Robert Harris pleaded guilty to 21 counts -- one for each recording -- in exchange for the sentence imposed by Pulaski County Circuit Judge Karen Whatley, sentencing papers filed on Monday show.

Each charge is a Class D felony, and Harris, who had never been in trouble with the law before, faced up to 126 years in prison. His guilty plea was negotiated by deputy prosecutor Beth Kanopsic and defense attorney Paul Smith.

The videos, recorded between March 2017 and October 2018, show four girls and three women at different times in various stages of undress using the restroom, changing clothes and getting into and out of the shower, court filings show.

The February 2019 discovery brought an end to his 25-year marriage, with Harris being arrested by North Little Rock police the same day the recordings were found on his home computer. When officers arrived, they asked if Harris knew why they were there and he told them he had some recordings he was not supposed to have on his laptop, court files show.

Questioned by investigators about how he made the videos, Harris said he'd set up his iPhone in the bathroom and used a motion-activated phone application to secretly record guests.

Court files indicate Harris had been a pastor with a ministry in the Philippines but do not state a church affiliation or denomination.


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