Alleged peeping Tom pleads not guilty

Published 8:11 am Friday, April 29, 2011

A 41-year-old Austin man accused of peeping into windows and taking photos of people changing clothes pleaded not guilty Thursday in Mower County Court.

Rodney Wayne Christenson faces five stalking charges and four charges for interfering with privacy. Three of the nine charges are felonies, including one count of interfering with the privacy of a minor.

On Wednesday, April 13, around 6 a.m., police received a call that a man was looking in windows near the 600 block of 12th Avenue SW. When officers arrived, they saw a car matching the caller’s description leaving the area.

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Christenson was pulled over in the 1300 block of Sixth Street SW. According to a court complaint, his blood alcohol content was .21 at the time. When officers asked if he had a camera on him, he said he didn’t. However, a camera with videos of people changing clothes and exercising was found in his jacket pocket, court documents reported.

When police viewed the videos, they found one that appeared to have been shot from a pine tree into a couple’s bathroom. Officers also found one video of a small child naked in a bathtub, according to the court complaint. Some of the videos had been taken before April 13, including one dating back to mid-October. All of the videos appear to have been shot through windows, according to the court complaint.

Christenson also faces two gross misdemeanor DWI charges. His jury trial is scheduled to begin July 25.