Woman Sues Reebok Over Peeping Tom Incident: Teen Exposed As Habitual Video Voyeur
A Colorado Springs woman is suing Reebok International, a Reebok Outlet Store, and a teenage store employee over a Peeping Tom incident that took place on December 31, 2015. Christina Selvig said she caught a glimpse of Austin Kyle Baker looking over the top of the wall into her changing room. In an interview with KDVR Fox 31, Selvig relived the incident that convinced her to file the civil lawsuit in Douglas County Court on April 14.
“They let me into the changing room and I thought I saw something move up at the ceiling and I kind of looked up, something moved back out of the way, I looked back up again and there was a young man, his head was over the wall of the changing room up about 15 feet high or so.”
Selvig said that she was in her underwear and in the process of trying on a sports bra and when she spotted Baker watching her, she screamed and fled the dressing room. She immediately informed the store manager who did nothing more than take her name and number and promised to get back with her the next day, which didn’t happen.
“They felt like at that moment, it had been an accident, the young man claimed to be cleaning a vent. And so he was up on a ladder cleaning a vent in the back room so they felt like if that’s what he was doing it was OK.”
But three days later, Baker confessed to spying on Christina, in addition to several more women. An investigation revealed that at least one other employee was aware that Baker was a video voyeur, and continued to allow the behavior. Law enforcement told her that he had turned over his phone, but they didn’t think the teen had taken any videos of her. Forensics came back with footage of her, as well as deleted videos of other women.
Selvig, a fitness fanatic, and mother of three says that she has mixed emotions about the incident.
“I also have a 17-year-old son that’s about a year younger than this man’s age so I’ve had empathy for him and for his family, what caused him to do this. So I go back and forth of feeling like the mom of this young man and then also feeling like outraged for women.”
“Changing rooms are provided in these places and by providing those the store is saying this is a safe place for you to change clothes to try something on and this was not a safe place and if I hadn’t caught it, it would continue to not be a safe place for women.”
Christina Selvig’s lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for invasion of privacy against Baker, and for negligence against Reebok. She was at the mall with her parents and her children, and is thankful that her daughter was at another store with her father when the incident happened.
“At the time, I just kept thinking how bad it would have been if my daughter was in there with me.”
The now 19-year-old Baker faces misdemeanor charges of invasion of privacy for sexual gratification, and a court hearing is scheduled for next week. His court-appointed attorney isn’t commenting on the case, and the Reebok Outlet store in Castle Rock, CO, is referring comments over to Rebook’s world headquarters.
“It’s really been a challenge,” Selvig said. “I think I’m okay, and then I start to talk about it, and I’m not okay. It’s been overwhelming.”
Now that the public has been informed about this ongoing and permitted violation of privacy at this outlet location, Selvig won’t be the only woman that sues Reebok and Baker. As more women find out that they have been violated by a video voyeur, more court dates will make their way through the system.
[Image via Maly Designer | Shutterstock]
