Florist Accused Of Hiding Camera Inside Flower Arrangement To Film Female Customer Nude

A Pennsylvania florist who allegedly installed a hidden camera inside a flower arrangement to film a female customer undressing in her bedroom was charged Monday.

Eric J. Belak, 57, who runs the Belak Flowers in Irwin, is accused of using the recording device to stream and download obscene videos of the woman, TribLive reported. The charges levied on Belak in connection with the misconduct included illegal use of an electronic recording device, invasion of privacy and stalking, online court records showed.

According to Penn Live, the florist's actions came to light when a relative of the victim happened to find the woman's nude images on Belak's computer and alerted authorities.

The victim, whose identity wasn’t revealed, told the North Huntington Police Department that she spotted the hidden camera inside the flower arrangement in her bedroom days after she bought the bouquet. The woman confronted Belak about the find and he promised her that the indecent images on his computer would be deleted. The man had several images of the victims, filmed over a period of four days, according to CBS 3.

Later, when the victim’s mother questioned Belak over the alleged misconduct, the accused described it as "a stupid, drunk mistake," CBS 3 reported, citing the police. "I’m sorry, nothing was shared,” Belak told the woman’s mother. "I don’t know what to say," he said.

When questioned by the cops, Belak said that he was driven by the urge to see the victim naked at least once. "I only wanted to see her naked one time," Belak told deputies.

Balak has served in the U.S. Marines and had been working at his family-owned flower shop full time since 1986. He took over the business from his father in 2012, says an older report by TribLive.

In 2018, a Paying Guest (PG) accommodation owner in the Indian city of Mumbai was arrested after he spied on women living in the property with a hidden camera. The 47-year-old allegedly installed the camera inside his phone’s adaptor and placed it inside the four-bedroom apartment where the women stayed.

The women grew suspicious after the man started repeating the conversations they had in private and eventually, spotted the hidden camera in their room. The incident was soon reported to the police. The accused was soon arrested, and the camera, videos and pictures found in his possession were confiscated.