IMPERIAL BEACH, Calif — A head custodian at a South San Diego school faces criminal charges for secretly recording women in an elementary school over the course of seven years.
Freddy Mogollan, the former head custodian at Bayside STEAM Academy in the South Bay Union School District, faces a total of 28 misdemeanor counts and one felony count, including possession of child pornography, peeking through a private area, and invading privacy with a concealed camera.
According to the October 20 criminal complaint, obtained by CBS 8, beginning in July 2014 and continuing through 2021, the 40-year-old Mogollan used a hole in the girl's restroom to watch and film women and children inside.
Mogollan, according to the complaint, "looked through a hole, opening" to spy and film young girls and others.
The felony possession of child pornography carries a maximum sentence of 16 years while the 28 misdemeanors each carry a six months prison term.
Attorney Dan Gilleon represents an employee at the South Bay Union STEAM school.
According to a legal claim filed by the employee, a precursor to a lawsuit, a female teacher was using the restroom in October of last year when she spotted a hidden cell phone that was recording her.
"The teacher immediately notified Bayside’s Principal, Kevin Coordt, who contacted law enforcement," reads the legal claim. "Later that evening, Mr. Coordt spoke to Mogollan, who admitted to the Principal that he had used his cell phone to secretly record females using the restroom."
Gilleon says the district has failed to investigate the extent of the filming in order to discover the number and the list of potential victims.
"The District’s response to this horrific crime has consistently been to sweep it under the rug," said Gilleon in a statement to CBS 8. "My clients have been told to 'get over it' by the administration. The District has not even interviewed my clients, which is mandated by law. The District remains asleep at the wheel. No wonder this predator thought he could get away with it."
CBS 8 reached out to Mogollan's attorney, Pedro Bernal.
In a statement, Bernal said that he and his client are "still in the process of reviewing the allegations and look forward to addressing them in court."
Bernal said the possession of child pornography charge is unrelated to his alleged filming inside the school's restroom.
In a statement, South Bay Union Superintendent Jose Espinoza told CBS 8, "South Bay Union School District takes employee safety and security very seriously. We were shocked to learn of the allegations of employee misconduct at one of our schools. The District fully cooperated with law enforcement in its investigation of this matter. We have not received any information from law enforcement on criminal charges regarding the allegations in our district, nor do we have information on criminal charges unrelated to the incident in South Bay Union. In order to protect the privacy rights of all individuals involved, the District is unable to comment further at this time."
WATCH RELATED: Chula Vista doctor accused of setting up cameras inside bathrooms has license pulled