Charges: Madison, Wis. teacher hid cameras in air freshener canisters placed in students' hotel room
David Krutchen is facing charges in Minneapolis and federal charges in Wisconsin for the hidden cameras. (FOX 9)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A Madison, Wisconsin teacher is now facing charges in Minneapolis after students discovered hidden cameras, disguised as air freshener canisters found in their hotel room.
The teacher, 37-year-old David Krutchen, was arrested last week on federal charges connected to the case. Now, Krutchen faces three new charges in Hennepin County for interfering with the privacy of a minor.
The investigation was launched after a group of Wisconsin students discovered cameras in their hotel room while on a trip to Minneapolis in December 2019.
According to the charges, the cameras were hidden in air freshener canisters that had been placed inside their hotel room by Krutchen. The cameras were uncovered when one of the girls in the room tried to use an air freshener, causing a panel to pop off which exposing the camera's inner workings.
Police say school staff ended up finding three devices, two air fresheners and one smoke detector, placed facing showers and toilets in the bathrooms in three student rooms.
Police say those devices, along with two thermostats, brought to the front desk by Krutchen after the students reported them around midnight on Saturday, December 7. However, police say they were not contacted until the following morning when parents learned of the discovery.
When police spoke with students, they reported Krutchen had taken the devices around midnight to the front desk. But, using surveillance video, police say they found Krutchen did not directly go to the front desk, instead the video showed he left the hotel for a period of time.
When he did turn over the items to the desk, around 1:35 a.m., officers say Krutchen failed to notify hotel staff that a crime had been committed or request that they call police -- despite him being a "mandatory reporter" as a teacher.
Working with security, police also found that while the girls were away from their rooms, someone had used a card assigned to the trip supervisors to enter the rooms.
Police say the smoke detector and other devices were never located and might have been destroyed.
However, when offers reviewed Krutchen's cell phone, they found he had visited a website that sold hidden cameras concealed as air fresheners, thermostats, and smoke detectors. When questioned by police, Krutchen admitted to buying those items.
Krutchen is currently being held in federal custody in Wisconsin.