Gloucester Catholic schools janitor allegedly spied on students with secret cameras

A JANITOR AT a South Jersey Catholic high school was busted Wednesday for allegedly having hidden cameras installed throughout the school so he could see images of students and teachers undressing, officials said.

John Martin, 41, of Wenonah, Gloucester County, is charged with third-degree invasion of privacy for allegedly directing the placement of cameras in eight rooms sometimes used as changing areas in Gloucester Catholic Junior/Senior High School. It was unclear Wednesday night who was responsible for the cameras' installation.

The rooms include classrooms, a backstage area, the choir room and the weight room, according to the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office. Martin, who worked as chief custodian at the school for 18 years and is a graduate, surrendered to police Wednesday after someone tipped off investigators last week.

Some of the cameras, a quarter-inch in diameter, were hidden in ventilation ducts and smoke detectors, and most recordings are of female students and teachers, a statement from the prosecutor's office said. Some of the videos contain nudity, and authorities said Martin distributed some of the images to at least two other people. The office is investigating whether anyone else had access to them.

Investigators said that they're working with school officials to determine the identities of the people in the videos and that victims will be contacted by law enforcement. They said the investigation is ongoing into how long the cameras had been in place and how many images and videos Martin possessed.

Martin could face more charges, and other people may be charged, according to Jason Laughlin, spokesman for the prosecutor's office.

After being interviewed by investigators last week, Martin resigned from his position.

School officials on Wednesday released this statement:

"Gloucester Catholic High School is committed to the safety and security of our students. We are gratified to have been able to work with law enforcement to eliminate the misuse of the school's security cameras. We will continue to work to assure the well-being of our students and ask that you keep us in your prayers."