‘It’s disgusting’: Hidden cameras discovered inside restaurant restrooms, employee arrested

TYBEE ISLAND, Ga. (WTOC/Gray News) - Police in Georgia say a restaurant employee has been arrested after hidden cameras were discovered inside the restrooms of a Tybee Island eatery.

Detectives with the Tybee Island Police Department charged 48-year-old Larry Walter Chase with unlawful eavesdropping or surveillance. Chase’s Chatham County jail record lists North Beach Bar and Grill as his employer at the time of his arrest.

Police say workers at North Beach Bar and Grill contacted officers on Sept. 17 after discovering a small camera concealed underneath a shelf in one of the restaurant’s bathrooms. A second camera was later found on top of an air freshener in the restaurant’s other restroom.

According to police, detectives reviewing the cameras’ contents found footage of several people using the restrooms.

“I think it’s disgusting,” Tybee Island visitor Wayne Curry said. “Hearing that it happened right up the street is pretty scary. I mean, you send your daughter to the bathroom, do you need to go in and scan the restrooms before you go in?”

Detectives said that, with the restaurant’s cooperation, Chase was identified as the suspect in the case and was taken into custody on Tuesday.

George Spriggs, the owner of North Beach Bar & Grill, called the situation deeply disturbing and apologized to anyone who may have been affected.

Tybee Island police said when searching Chase’s home, their team found more electronic devices, including computers, cellphones, a tablet and thumb drives that they are also checking.

As the investigation remains ongoing, Chase may be facing additional charges, police noted.