Man sentenced to 12 years in prison for putting hidden camera in NY church bathroom
A New York man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after being found guilty of placing a hidden camera in the showers of a church’s bathroom in order to film minors.
Stephen Nicot, a 61-year-old resident of Rochester, was sentenced to 144 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci Jr. after being convicted of receiving child pornography.
Nicot's sentencing was announced Tuesday in a press release from the office of U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross, Western District of New York.
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According to the press release, Nicot had positioned a camera in a church bathroom and shower in order to film naked individuals, including minors, with the intention of displaying the video and images.
On July 21, 2022, authorities searched Nicot’s residence and recovered a memory card and USB drive that contained videos and images of at least five children using the church bathroom and shower. Law enforcement also seized two cell phones, both of which contained images of a naked minor victim recorded by a camera hidden in a bathroom of his residence.
Nicot was arrested last year and charged with production and possession of child pornography, which has a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years behind bars.
The memory card that authorities discovered was kept within a copy of the book Jesus Among Other Gods, according to the Rochester-based news outlet the Democrat & Chronicle.
Last June, Nicot was released from jail pending a later court appearance under the condition that he undergo GPS monitoring, surrender his passport, computer monitoring, and was prohibited from being around anyone younger than 18 without "the direct supervision of a responsible adult," reported the D&C.
In January, Nicot pleaded guilty to the charge of receipt of child pornography, which has a minimum penalty of five years of prison and a maximum of 20 years and a $250,000 fine.
The guilty plea came as a result of an investigation by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.
