Man accused of filming players showering after Mudcats game

LaDarryl Strong, 32, of 169 Snow Hill St. in Ayden, was charged Wednesday with felony secret peeping, first-degree trespass, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. He has been released on bond.

Zebulon Police Chief Tim Hayworth said a stadium employee caught a man taping players as they undressed and showered in the visitors' locker room after Tuesday night's game between the Mudcats and the Wilmington (Del.) Blue Rocks. The man snuck into the locker room by posing as a member of a janitorial crew, he said.

"Our staff reacted quickly and called the Zebulon police," Mudcats General Manager Joe Kramer said.

Police arrested the man as he tried to flee, and officers recovered eight videos and a small camera, the chief said.

Kramer said a nearby stadium gate that is usually locked was open after the game for the team's bus, which is likely how the man got access to the locker room. Stadium staff will be more vigilant about having security on hand during those transition times, he said.

Investigators seized 20 computers and other digital media devices during a search of Strong's home on Thursday, Hayworth said, and they plan to scan the items to see if they contain evidence of other crimes.

"We absolutely expect to find other crimes on the videos," the chief said, calling the stadium incident a "very bold" crime that a first-time offender would never attempt.

Kramer agreed that similar incidents have probably occurred before.

"It's kind of obvious that he had probably done this somewhere else before – not here, but somewhere else before – because he had a plan," he said.

Strong told police he works with special-needs students for Lenoir County Schools, Hayworth said. School district offices have been closed this for spring break, so police haven't been able to confirm that information. Investigators found him listed as a technology assistant in an online directory, the chief said.

School administrators couldn't be reached Friday for comment.

Strong, who couldn't be reached for comment, has no criminal record in North Carolina. His next court appearance is set for May 2.