A Best Buy employee is accused of secretly sending a customer’s intimate photos to his own phone after she handed over her device for technical help, Suffolk County police said.
The allegations have sparked concern over privacy and data security when customers hand over personal devices for repairs or technical support, and whether or not there are more victims out there.
Kaelem Von Camper, 31, of Greenlawn, was arrested following an investigation into the April incident at the Best Buy store on Walt Whitman Road in Huntington Station.
According to police, a 36-year-old woman visited the electronics retailer on April 17th around 10 a.m. seeking assistance with her cellphone. Investigators said Von Camper, an employee at the store, handled the woman’s phone while helping resolve the issue.
But shortly after leaving the store, the victim allegedly received an AirDrop notification indicating intimate images from her phone had been sent to an unknown number without her knowledge or permission.
Detectives from the Second Precinct Crime Unit launched an investigation and determined the images were allegedly transferred to Von Camper’s cellphone, authorities said.
Von Camper was arrested at the Second Precinct and charged with Unlawful Dissemination or Publication of an Intimate Image, a misdemeanor. Police later announced he was additionally charged with Unauthorized Use of a Computer, also a misdemeanor.
He was issued a Desk Appearance Ticket and is expected to be arraigned at First District Court at a later date.
Police are now urging anyone who believes they may have had a similar experience involving Von Camper to contact the Second Precinct Crime Unit at 631-854-8275.