IUPD tracks 'peeping tom'

After nearly a month of investigating a string of "peeping tom" incidents in the women's locker room of the Health, Physical Education and Recreation building, the IU Police Department filed a probable-cause affidavit against a male suspect Tuesday. Police are recommending charges of voyeurism, a Class B misdemeanor, and trespass, a Class A misdemeanor, against Bloomington resident John Wesley Graves, who has a lengthy criminal record including sexual misconduct and rape.\nTuesday night, IUPD officers responded to another possible "peeping tom" call at the HPER. Whether the incident is related to the string of previously reported events has not been determined.\nAccording to IU police reports, the first incident occurred Jan. 7 when a swim coach called IUPD to report a male in the women's locker room in the HPER building. When officers arrived, three juveniles told them they saw a man in the restroom standing on the toilet and watching them over the stall. They described him as a college-aged, 6-foot male with a short haircut and dark clothing. When the officers entered the restroom, they were unable to find the subject.\nThe IUPD received another call Jan. 14 from HPER Building Manager Larry Patrick in reference to possible evidence he found. According to police reports, Patrick told officers he found a metal bucket outside of the women's locker room Dec. 20, an object he suspected was used as a stool to peek over the window of the locker room. Patrick also stated he found a cigarette urn in the same location as the bucket on the morning of Jan. 14. He suspected the urn might have been used for the same purpose. Patrick could not be reached for comment.\nA final call to the IUPD was made by a HPER locker room attendant around 4:30 p.m. Jan. 17 regarding another "peeping tom" situation. According to police reports, the HPER employee told officers a building employee spotted a man in the women's locker room. The witness saw the man walk around a row of lockers several times. When officers arrived, they did not find anyone in the women's locker room. However, they questioned Graves, who had been escorted upstairs by HPER employees because they suspected he might have been in the area. When officers asked him why he was around the locker room, he said he was "looking for a friend."\nGraves, 23, was brought down to the station for an interview, and police discovered he had a lengthy criminal record including prior arrests for battery, theft, battery with a deadly weapon, sexual misconduct with a minor, domestic battery and rape. Police reports also indicate Graves was carrying a knife with him, which was later confiscated.\nIUPD Lt. Jerry Minger said Graves was released from the station because police did not have anything to hold him on. However, Minger said because his physical description matched the description given to the IUPD in the earlier case, the IUPD conducted a photo lineup to identify the subject.\n"We (gathered) the people who observed the male in the earlier case," Minger said. "One of the juveniles who was at swim camp earlier in the month positively identified (Graves) as the person she encountered when he attempted to watch her change clothes."\nMinger said he is hoping to get a warrant for Graves' arrest after the probable-cause affidavit goes through the prosecutor's office.\nAssociate Dean of HPER David Skirvin said any incident like this is handled through the IUPD.\n"We follow their instructions, take their advice and make necessary precautions to ensure the personal safety of our employees and those who use our facility," Skirvin said.\nMinger said it's hard to determine how frequently "peeping tom" incidents happen on campus because it's possible that many go unreported.\n"This is not all that common," he said. "Particularly not with people who have such a lengthy criminal record as Mr. Graves."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Lori Geller at lfgeller@indiana.edu.