FIRST ON KIRO 7: Sound Transit security guard accused of voyeurism at Sea-Tac

A man who was employed as a Sound Transit security guard has been charged with voyeurism after police said he admitted to recording and attempting to record up the skirts of women at a Sound Transit station.

KIRO 7 was the first to report the felony charge against Timothy Ray Funkhouser, 35. The charge was filed this week in King County Superior Court.

Funkhouser was employed as a security guard with Securitas Inc., which has a contract with Sound Transit. He worked at the SeaTac light rail station and in March he asked another security guard if he wanted to see a video of a "hot girl" he met while working.

"Funkhouser pulled out his personal cell phone and showed (the man) what he estimated to be a 6 minute video of the female on the light rail train wearing tight fitting spandex type pants sitting with her legs spread and showing a continuous crotch shot," King County Sheriff's Detective Stephan Shipley wrote in a probable cause document.

"Funkhouser admitted (to his co-worker) that he took the video with his iPhone clipped to his belt and angled it towards the female's crotch and stated he had done this multiple times and that he is 'surprised I haven't been caught.'"

Later, that co-worker allegedly watched Funkhouser get on the escalator behind a woman in her early 20s and appeared to place his cellphone a step below her without the woman knowing.

The co-worker reported the conduct to Securitas human resources the following day.

The charges were disturbing to train passenger Charlene Walker. “That’s a little nasty for me. You’re supposed to be a security officer actually doing your job. Not taking pictures of women’s private parts, “ said Walker.

Passenger Janelle Stephenson added, “I’m glad I wear pants every day.  He should be prosecuted.”

Later, Funkhouser told a co-worker if he was caught on camera "I'll just say I'm fixing my socks," according to court documents.

Deputies served a search warrant on Funkhouser's house and seized a computer, four cellphones and thumb drives, Shipley wrote. A cellphone and some compact discs were also taken from his car for digital forensic analysis.

No one answered the door at his home in Federal Way on Thursday night.

"He admitted to attempting to video record up the skirt of the women on the escalator but denied putting his phone on the step, saying he held it in his hands by his ankle," Shipley wrote. "He stated that the video didn't capture her private areas but 'I had to try.' He denied showing it to his co-worker.

"He admitted that he has done this in the past but only 2 or 3 times," according to the probable cause document. "He admitted that he did it for 'self gratification' and 'male arousal."

The investigation found "a number of images depicting the crotch area of women, leg and skirt pictures that appear to be taken from a low level without their knowledge, and a large number of various pornographic images appearing to be both taken from the Internet and 'home' style pictures as well."

The probable cause document was completed last month, and the charge was made public Thursday.

Securitas has fired Funkhouser, says spokeswoman Lynn Gloveka, based in Chicago.  Sound Transit contracts with Securitas.

“Even before the police investigation we directed that that employee be moved from work at Sound Transit- period,” according to Sound Transit Spokesman Geoff Patrick.

Funkhouser is not working for Sound Transit or Securitas at all.

His arraignment, at which he is expected to enter a plea, is scheduled for August 12.

KIRO