Harris County Peeping Tom sparks security conversation

How you can protect yourself from hidden cameras

FOX 26 Reporter Gabby Hart spoke with one expert on how you can protect your safety and security.

NORTHWEST HARRIS COUNTY - The suspect accused of hiding a camera above his next-door neighbor's shower and recording her against her will appeared before a judge on Tuesday. 

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Natalia Avila is a private investigator who works at the "spy shop" centralspyshop.com off of Hwy 6 North, and just like most other Houstonians, she heard the news of an alleged peeping Tom, who infringed on his neighbor's private shower time in northwest Harris County. 

"It didn't surprise me; I knew exactly what he was doing. I know exactly what kind of camera he used," Avila said. 

The female victim, identified in documents only as SF, reported seeing several holes in the ceiling above her shower last November. 

When her friend looked into it, he found a camera with an SD card that contained video of SF naked in her shower. The drywall that separated her attic from the neighboring townhome had been torn down. That neighbor identified by police as 48-year-old Brian Burnette is now in hot water himself.

Brian Burnette (Source: Harris County Sheriff's Office)

Being secretly recorded has become a growing fear and concern, especially when staying at hotels, villas, and air BNBs, but thankfully technology to help you catch creeps is keeping up with the technology that creeps are using, like a radio frequency detector. 

"In all honesty, the only way to be sure is to get one of these," Avila warned. 

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Not only does the scanner alert you when a recording device is nearby, but when you turn on the light and look through it, it allows you to see a hidden lens clear as day and Avila says those hidden lenses could be anywhere.

"Chargers, clocks, smoke detectors, receptacles. I even have a fan with a hidden camera inside, and it's a functional fan as well," said Avila. 

Your best bet is if you think something might be off, get it checked out and don't wait. 

Burnette is charged with invasive video recording, which is a felony. He's due back in court in early April.