Former GA teacher sentenced to 15 years in prison after filming kids in bathroom with hidden cameras

ALBANY, Ga. — A retired South Georgia school teacher and landlord has been sentenced to 15 years after prosecutors said he put hidden cameras inside a bathroom and recorded children bathing and undressing.

David Swanson, 61, of Albany, was sentenced on July 31.

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According to court documents, a concerned citizen told Ray City Police that she found a hidden camera in the home she rented from Swanson. An officer found a camera hidden in the bathroom ceiling and plugged into an extension cord that ran through the attic.

The SD cards contained pictures of four children between the ages of one and 12 changing clothes and using the toilet. There were also numerous video clips of nude children bathing and using the toilet. They were all recorded between Jan. 21, 2023 and Feb. 29, 2023.

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A search warrant was executed at Swanson’s home in Valdosta on March 3. Agents found around 750 images and videos of child sexual abuse material. Some of it showed children nude in bathrooms as well as minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

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Investigators found evidence of a file named “child porn” that had been downloaded to an external hard drive.

Swanson had recently retired as a teacher with the Lowndes County School System.

“The home should be a refuge for a family, particularly children. To violate that sanctuary is unforgivable, especially in such a reprehensible way,” said Jennifer Huerta, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI Atlanta that oversees Georgia and Alabama. “Let this sentence serve as a reminder that HSI and its law enforcement partners are committed to investigating and holding offenders like Swanson accountable.”

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