Worship director hid a camera in church bathroom, MI cops say. He's prison-bound
A former worship director convicted of hiding a camera in a church bathroom is headed to prison, Michigan court records show.
William Eugene Johnson, who in September was arrested when a 2|42 Community Church staff member found a camera hidden in a bathroom, must serve at least five years of a maximum 20-year sentence, a Livingston County judge ruled.
In April, Johnson pleaded guilty to 15 charges, including seven counts of using a computer to commit a crime, two counts of possession of child sexually abuse material, and four counts of surveilling an unclothed person, according to court records.
'You have shattered what we, as a community, value most: the sense of safety and security,' Judge Matthew McGivney said on May 22, according to the Livingston Daily. 'When the headlines broke about the actions at your church, every family in this community thought, 'Was I filmed? Was my wife filmed? Was my child filmed?''
McClatchy News reached out to an attorney representing Johnson on May 27 but did not immediately receive a reply.
2|42 Community Church, located in Brighton, said in September that the camera was found 'inside a non-public, unisex bathroom.' Johnson, the church's worship director, confessed to hiding the camera, and he was 'immediately terminated,' the church said in a Facebook post.
'We are shocked and deeply saddened by this crime and violation of our community,' church leaders said in a statement. 'The protection, safety and privacy of every person who enters our church is our priority. We are fully cooperating with the sheriff's office as this is an ongoing investigation.'
Over a two-year span, Johnson targeted individuals he knew would 'use that specific bathroom,' according to The Livingston Post.
The victims included at least 10 women, the Livingston Daily reported, including one victim recorded at least 540 times.
Brighton is about a 50-mile drive northwest from Detroit.
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