Locker Room Espionage
Former California State Parks Superintendent Charged in Secret Locker Room Recordings Scandal
Key Points
A sworn California State Park officer found a USB stick with a hidden camera in the Bolsa Chica State Beach locker room in July 2025, which triggered the California Highway Patrol–led investigation.
Pearsall has long served in a sworn law enforcement capacity for California State Parks, including as a superintendent since 1994.
The locker room where the alleged recordings occurred is restricted to staff—full-time personnel, seasonal lifeguards, office staff, maintenance workers and park aides.
Pearsall was previously subject to a $500,000 arrest warrant before he turned himself in.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said, 'Instead of protecting his employees, Pearsall used his position to spy on the men who worked for him while they were in the place where they should have been the safest and then share those intimate images of his victims.'
A former California State Parks superintendent secretly filmed 23 male employees — including lifeguards, maintenance workers, and park aides — inside a restricted locker room at Bolsa Chica State Beach for nearly 11 months, prosecutors say. Kevin Pearsall, 59, of Long Beach, faces 31 criminal counts and up to 18 years and eight months in jail if convicted on all charges, according to Orange County District Attorney's Office.
Pearsall turned himself in on June 24, 2026, one day after a $500,000 arrest warrant was issued for him. A judge released him on his own recognizance. His arraignment is scheduled for August 6, 2026, in Westminster, CBS News Los Angeles reported.
Hidden USB Camera Uncovered After 11 Months of Recordings
In July 2025, a sworn State Park officer found a USB device with a hidden camera inside the men's locker room at the Bolsa Chica State Beach Lifeguard Headquarters, according to Los Angeles Times. The locker room is restricted to staff only — full-time personnel, seasonal lifeguards, office staff, maintenance workers, and park aides.
Officials reviewed the footage and then called in the California Highway Patrol to lead an independent investigation. Pearsall had allegedly planted the camera as far back as August 2024 — meaning it recorded employees undetected for nearly a year. He retired from his position shortly after the CHP probe launched, FOX 11 Los Angeles reported.
Superintendent Used His Authority to Spy on Subordinates
Pearsall spent 30 years with California State Parks, starting as a seasonal lifeguard in 1994 and rising to Orange Coast District Superintendent in 2023 — a sworn law enforcement role. He was a prominent public face for the department, leading responses to events like the 2021 Orange County oil spill, Los Angeles Times noted.
Orange County DA Todd Spitzer condemned the abuse of that authority directly. "Instead of protecting his employees, Pearsall used his position to spy on the men who worked for him while they were in the place where they should have been the safest and then share those intimate images of his victims," Spitzer said, according to ABC7.
31 Counts Filed, Including Felony Charges for Audio Recordings
Prosecutors charged Pearsall with five felony counts of eavesdropping, 23 misdemeanor counts of secretly filming, and three misdemeanor counts of unlawfully sharing private recordings. The felony eavesdropping charges are serious because California requires all parties to consent to audio recording — making secret audio a felony under state law, FOX 11 Los Angeles reported.
Several nude clips showing genitalia or buttocks were shared with two other men, prosecutors say. Those recipients have not been publicly identified. Senior Deputy DA Stephanie Caughlin of the Sexual Assault Unit is handling the prosecution, according to CBS News Los Angeles.
Victims May Sue the State as Security Audits Loom
The 23 victims' identities remain protected. Legal analysts say they may have grounds to sue the State of California for failing to provide a safe workplace and for negligent oversight of a high-ranking official. California State Parks has also faced criticism for allowing the conduct to continue for 11 months before the USB device was found, FOX 11 Los Angeles noted.
The case has prompted calls for security audits of employee facilities across all California State Parks — especially locker rooms and changing areas — to check for any other hidden devices left behind. Pearsall's August 6 arraignment will determine his plea and set the path toward a potential trial, according to ABC7.
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