(April 13, 2007)—Former Bruceville-Eddy school superintendent Danny Doyen pleaded guilty Friday in state district court in Waco to charges stemming from the discovery of a surveillance camera concealed in an air freshener container in a women’s restroom at the school district’s administration office.

Doyen pleaded guilty to two counts of improper photography, for which he could be sentenced to as much as two years in jail.

Prosecutors are recommending Doyen, who resigned in November 2005 after he was arrested, be placed on probation for five years, fined $500 and ordered to register as a sex offender.

Sentencing is set for June 13.

Doyen was arrested after a female employee discovered the surveillance camera housed in what appeared to be an air freshener in a restroom she and two other women shared.

In the affidavit issued for an arrest warrant, an investigator said the female business office clerk also discovered that the camera had been purchased with a school credit card.

In a written statement, the affidavit says, “Doyen does admit to placing the camera in the restroom at work, in an effort to obtain nude photos of the female employees.”

Doyen had been the superintendent of the district since 2002.

Affidavit Text

BEFORE ME, the undersigned authority, on this day, personally appeared BRAD SKAGGS, known by me to be a credible person who, after being duly sworn, upon oath, deposes and says that he has good reason to believe and does believe that DANNY EDWARD DOYEN W/M D.O.B. 7-3-59 heretofore on or about the 14th day of NOVEMBER, AD 2005, in the County of McLennan, and State of Texas, did then and there, knowingly and intentionally, COMMIT THE OFFENSE OF IMPROPER PHOTOGRAPHY OR VISUAL RECORDING.

Affiant bases his belief on the following facts:

ON 11-14-05 YOUR AFFIANT WAS CONTACTED BY COMPLAINANT…..THE COMPLAINANT ADVISED YOUR AFFIANT THAT SHE WORKS AS A BUSINESS OFFICE CLERK AT BRUCEVILLE-EDDY ISD. THE COMPLAINANT ADVISED THAT AROUND THE FIRST OF NOVEMBER 2005 SHE DISCOVERED THAT SUPERINTENDENT DANNY DOYEN HAD PURCHASED A SURVEILLANCE CAMERA USING THE SCHOOLS CREDIT CARD. THE COMPLAINANT ADVISED THAT SHE THEN OBTAINED AN INVOICE FROM DANNY DOYEN FOR THE PURCHASE OF THE SURVEILLANCE CAMERA, AND THAT THE INVOICE HAD A WEB ADDRESS. THE COMPLAINANT THEN WENT ON THE INTERNET AND DISCOVERED THAT THE CAMERA RESEMBLED AN AIR FRESHENER. THE COMPLAINANT FURTHER ADVISED THAT ON 11-14-05 SHE DID LOCATE A ITEM IN A RESTROOM SHARED BY HER AND TWO OTHER FEMALE EMPLOYEES THAT WAS IDENTICAL TO THE CAMERA SHE HAD SEEN ON THE INTERNET. TWO OTHER EMPLOYEES HAVE ALSO SEEN THIS CAMERA. ON 11-15-05 YOUR AFFIANT DID OBTAIN A SEARCH WARRANT FOR 1010 EAGLE DRIVE WHICH IS DANNY DOYENS RESIDENCE AND 1013 EAGLE DRIVE WHICH IS BRUCEVILLE-EDDY ISD. YOUR AFFIANT HAS RECOVERED THE SURVEILLANCE CAMERA THAT DOES RESEMBLE AN AIR FRESHENER. THIS ITEM WAS ON A SHELF IN DANNY DOYENS OFFICE. YOUR AFFIANT HAS ALSO OBTAINED A WRITTEN CONFESSION FROM DANNY DOYENS. IN THAT CONFESSION DANNY DOYEN DOES ADMIT TO PLACING THE CAMERA IN THE RESTROOM AT WORK, IN AN EFFORT TO OBTAIN NUDE PHOTOS OF THE FEMALE EMPLOYEES.

Penal Code Text

Sec. 21.15. IMPROPER PHOTOGRAPHY OR VISUAL RECORDING.
(a) In this section, "promote" has the meaning assigned by Section 43.21.
(b) A person commits an offense if the person:
(1) photographs or by videotape or other electronic means visually records another:
(A) without the other person's consent; and
(B) with intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person; or
(2) knowing the character and content of the photograph or recording, promotes a photograph or visual recording described by Subdivision (1).
(c) An offense under this section is a state jail felony

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