A doctor in California was arrested for allegedly placing a hidden camera in his clinic’s bathroom. As a result, he is now being sued by multiple families who say they have been affected by this incident.
A man named Nicholas Vanderhyde, aged 40, was taken into custody in June following an inquiry into a concealed camera discovered in the restroom of his clinic in Santa Clarita, California.
According to reports from Eyewitness News and The Santa Clarita Valley Signal, he has been arrested on charges of possession of child pornography, as stated in a criminal complaint.
According to Eyewitness News, a total of 11 families have recently filed a lawsuit against him and the Joint Chiropractic clinic. The announcement was made during a press conference.
In May, an employee at the clinic discovered a hidden camera in the bathroom, which was connected to a power bank and taped to a cabinet. This incident was reported to Eyewitness News.
An unnamed employee recently found a camera on the cabinet while retrieving her phone after using the bathroom.
“It was directed towards the toilet, indicating a clear intention to capture individuals using the restroom and invading their privacy,” she stated, according to KTLA.
Authorities arrested Vanderhyde on June 4, according to a statement from the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, as reported by Eyewitness News. According to KTLA, he has been released on bail. It is uncertain whether he has sought legal representation to speak on his behalf.
In a recent lawsuit filed on Monday, July 29, a group of 17 individuals, including four minors, have come forward as former patients accusing Vanderhyde of violating their privacy. They allege that Vanderhyde intentionally and covertly placed a camera in the bathroom to record patients, including young children, while they were undressed.
According to the lawsuit, which PEOPLE has obtained, the clinic is accused of neglecting to help patients determine if their nude or partially nude images were stored on Dr. Vanderhyde’s devices or shared electronically.
The lawsuit claims that The Joint knew Vanderhyde’s inappropriate treatment methods, which were not in line with the clinic’s usual services. Despite this, the clinic allowed him to continue without conducting any investigation.
According to a section of the lawsuit, Dr. Vanderhyde was allowed to continue his unorthodox treatment methods, which included inappropriate touching during upper, and inner thigh massages.
According to Eyewitness News, the Joint Chiropractic facility has stated that they will not comment on ongoing legal matters. However, they emphasized that the safety of their patients and staff, as well as the integrity of their service, are always their top concerns.
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