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PROVO — A Juab County man was arrested Thursday and accused of video recording a woman without her consent while she was shopping in Provo.
Justin Brent Christiansen, 36, of Mona, was booked into the Utah County Jail for investigation of two counts of voyeurism.
On May 31, Provo police were called to a Deseret Industries store by a woman who said a man "had followed her around the store while she was shopping. The victim reported that the male, later identified as Justin Christiansen, had placed his cellular phone under her dress with the camera facing up and then followed her to a different area of the store and held his phone up to his chest with the camera" facing her chest, according to a police booking affidavit.
Investigators said they later contacted a witness to the events who collaborated what the victim told officers. The witness observed Christiansen kneel down in the shoe aisle near the woman with his phone camera, the affidavit states.
"Video provided by Deseret Industries shows Justin crouching down right behind the victim and remains down for approximately 23 seconds before walking out of the aisle and manipulating his phone," according to police.
The woman attempted to walk away to another area of the store, but Christiansen followed and, according to the witness, held up his phone as he walked by "and then leaned in toward (the woman's) chest" as he walked by, according to the affidavit. "The witness stated she walked past Justin in the aisle and observed him zooming in on his phone."
Police were able to identify Christiansen and questioned him on Thursday. He denied following the woman and claimed he was only taking a picture of shoes, the affidavit says. Officers, however, placed him under arrest.
