A recently retired Denver Fire Department lieutenant is facing two criminal charges after allegedly recording a colleague changing clothes in her room at the firehouse.
Denver District Attorney's Office in a release said Daniel Flesner, 47, was formally charged Thursday with one count of tampering with physical evidence, a felony, and one misdemeanor count of invasion of privacy for sexual gratification.
Flesner allegedly admitted to police that he placed a camera device inside the victim's room, suggesting it had been a joke.
According to the arrest affidavit, Denver Police began investigating the alleged incident on March 31 inside a firehouse located on Brighton Boulevard. The affidavit states Flesner was suspended the same day.
The victim told police on March 31 she had been reading a book in her room while working her shift at Fire House No. 9 the day before when she heard her own voice repeating something she had just said. The victim had a feeling someone was recording her, leading her to search the room and locate a device that appeared to have a camera lens directed to an area where she changed clothes.
The victim soon learned the device appeared to be a motion-activated camera. The victim notified Flesner, the victim's superior, and one other person who is not identified in the affidavit. According to the affidavit, Flesner took the device and allegedly used a pin to tamper with the SD card inside.
Police allegedly found a single video in the SD card with a March 30 timestamp showing the victim entering her bedroom and changing. The card contained other videos and pictures showing the victim's room.
Flesner allegedly texted the victim and other people apologizing for a "prank gone wrong" late on March 31.
Flesner's case was filed in Denver County Court on Thursday. He is scheduled for a second advisement on April 22, according to the DA's office release.
