An 18-year-old man suspected of recording a woman in the bathroom of the Battle Ground Wal-Mart told police he did so to prove to his friend that he went into the women’s restroom, court records show.
Taylor A. Wiinikka of Vancouver appeared Thursday in Clark County Superior Court on suspicion of voyeurism stemming from the Monday incident.
The prosecution asked that Wiinikka be held on $75,000 bail, given the circumstances.
His court-appointed attorney, Shon Bogar, argued that although the circumstances appear to be “creepy,” there’s no indication Wiinikka is a danger to the community.
Bogar said Wiinikka has no adult criminal history, is employed and has a place to stay. He asked that Wiinikka be granted supervised release. Judge Gregory Gonzales granted the request.
Wiinikka will be arraigned Dec. 20.
At about 8:30 p.m., a Wal-Mart employee was using the women’s bathroom in the back of the store at 1201 W. 13th Ave. in Battle Ground, when she noticed someone leaning against her stall. The 21-year-old woman said she initially didn’t think much of it because the restroom is frequented by employees and customers, according to a probable cause affidavit.
But after a few moments, she looked up, she said, and saw a cellphone camera lens in between the gaps of the stall. She realized she was being recorded or photographed as she was seated on the toilet, the affidavit states.
The suspect — caught in the act — walked away. The employee alerted her store manager of the incident, court records said.
Several store employees found the man, later identified by police as Wiinikka, in the same women’s bathroom in a stall. They confronted him about taking photos, but he denied it and walked out of the store, saying something to the effect of, “I’m from Amboy and about 50 miles from home,” according to court documents.
Battle Ground police responded a couple of hours later, due to confusion over who should have reported the alleged crime, and reviewed the store’s video surveillance. Witnesses also provided a description of the suspect’s clothing and vehicle, the affidavit said.
Police said they believe there’s likely other victims who were photographed or recorded because the man was in the bathroom for about a half hour. Police sent out a press release with photos of the suspect and received information Wednesday that it was likely Wiinikka. He then called police and confirmed it was him, court records state.
During an interview, Wiinikka told police he went into the women’s bathroom to send his friend a video of him in there. He shot the video as he walked around the stalls and then noticed a woman using the toilet. He said he still decided to send the video of the victim to his friend via Snapchat, according to court documents.
Wiinikka left the restroom, he said, but came back a second time to take a photo as further proof for his friend. He said his actions were “stupid,” the affidavit states.
