Glendale high school teacher accused of using spy cameras to record students changing outfits

PHOENIX – A longtime West Valley teacher was arrested Monday for alleged voyeurism after students found spy cameras in a high school classroom changing room, authorities said.

Estevan Carreon, 53, was booked into jail on four counts of voyeurism, four counts of surreptitious photography and one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, according to court records. His bond was set at $50,000.

Carreon has been teaching for more than 20 years and was assigned to the media club at Independence High School in Glendale two years ago, according to arrest documents.

He is accused of secretly recording students while they changed clothes as part of an extra credit project over spring break on March 18. Four girls ages 15-17 were recorded in various states of undress, including one of whom was nude, according to the probable cause statement for Carreon’s arrest.

How did district respond to accusations of voyeurism by Glendale teacher?

“We are actively working with the Glendale Police Department regarding this matter. In accordance with policy, Glendale Union High School District cannot provide details regarding personnel matters; however, we can confirm that the teacher has been placed on administrative leave pending further action, has been relieved of all duties and has been arrested,” Kim Mesquita, a spokesperson for the district, told KTAR News 92.3 FM in a statement.

The district sent a letter to parents and guardians notifying them about the allegations and offering support to students.

How did students discover they were being recorded secretly?

Six students – two male and four female – participated in the media project at the campus on 75th Avenue south of Glendale Avenue, according to arrest documents.

The students used a dressing room attached to the media room to change outfits while recording their project.

One of the students spotted a spy camera device plugged into an outlet inside the changing room and notified his classmates. They removed the camera and located two other similar devices.

The students documented what they found by taking videos and photos.

Teacher allegedly feared he ‘he could go to jail for a long time’

When Carreon realized the first device was missing, he accused the students of taking items that belonged to the janitor, according to arrest documents.

When the students the told him they didn’t have it, Carreon “started to panic and told them he could go to jail for a long time if they did not return the item,” the probable cause statement says.

Carreon confronted each of the students, but one was able to get out of school while in possession of the spy camera.

The students told their parents, who found videos of the girls changing on the device’s SD card. Police found another SD card at the school and were able to recover videos showing the girls from a different angle as well as recordings of Carreon setting up the cameras and removing them from the changing room, according to the probable cause statement.

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