Former West Valley swim coach accused of filming teenage girls while they changed

PHOENIX — A former West Valley swim coach wanted on voyeurism charges was arrested in Connecticut on Monday, authorities said.

David Laudati, 41, allegedly made secret recordings of three teenage girls while they were nude or partially nude, according to the Buckeye Police Department.

The crimes allegedly occurred last year while Laudati was coaching the Arizona Dolphins at recreation centers in Buckeye and Litchfield Park.

How police found out about alleged crimes of former West Valley swim coach

The investigation began after the parent of the 14-year-old girl contacted police on Sept. 9, 2023.

The teen reported seeing a cellphone with the camera recording in a mesh pocket on Laudati’s backpack, which was on top of a changing table at The Center on Main recreation facility in Buckeye’s Verrado community, police said.

Investigators with the Buckeye Police Special Victims Unit searched Laudati’s Goodyear residence on Sept. 11, 2023.

A forensic analysis of the suspect’s electronic devices revealed several photos of the victims in various stages of undress at the Buckeye facility and the locker room at the Litchfield Park Recreation Center.

Investigators identified three victims between the ages of 14 and 17. They also learned that Laudati had been a swim coach at Millennium High School in Goodyear.

A Maricopa County Grand Jury indicted Laudati on 11 counts of voyeurism and eight counts of attempt to commit voyeurism in July 2024, police said.

Buckeye Police coordinated with the U.S. Marshals Service to arrest Laudati. The federal authorities found and arrested him at a home in Newington, Connecticut, on Monday. Laudati will be extradited back to Maricopa County for prosecution.

Follow @KTAR923