Additional charges filed in secret peeping probe

A Taylorsville man, arrested a few weeks ago for secret peeping, is now facing multiple charges for similar activity in previous years, which only recently came to light.

On December 1, 2020, a camera was found in a staff bathroom at Wittenburg Elementary School, stated Alexander County Sheriff Chris Bowman. The Alexander County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation and arrested Michael Justin Childers, W/M, age 32 of Taylorsville, with one count of Felony Secret Peeping. Childers was employed as a custodian at Wittenburg Elementary School and Ellendale Elementary School. The investigation has since shown that Childers was involved in secret peeping during his previous employment at Walmart, and has been charged by the Alexander County Sheriff’s Office and Taylorsville Police Department with multiple counts of Felony Secret Peeping and Felony Indecent Liberties with a Minor. (The Indecent Liberties charges are a result of using a camera to Secretly Peep on a minor, and are not connected to the schools.)

The investigation has also revealed that a camera was placed in a staff bathroom at Ellendale Elementary School. The investigation is still ongoing and any victims will be notified as they are found. Alexander County Schools is fully cooperating and assisting Alexander County Sheriff’s Office in this investigation.

On Thursday, March 4, 2021, Taylorsville Police Department charged Childers with 53 counts of Felony Secret Peeping and 9 Counts of Felony Indecent Liberties with a Minor. (The Indecent Liberties charges stem from the secret peeping of minor victims.) Alexander County Sheriff’s Office charged Childers with 55 counts of Felony Possession of Secret Peeping Material and 2 counts of Felony Secret Peeping. The two counts of Felony Secret Peeping that were charged by the Sheriff’s Office stemmed from a video that was taken at a residence in Alexander County.

On Friday, March 5, 2021, Childers was charged with five counts of Felony Secret Peeping and five counts of Felony Possession of Secret Peeping Material. These charges stem from a continuing investigation that began in December of 2020. Three of the Felony Secret Peeping charges stem from Ellendale Elementary School, and two of the Felony Secret Peeping charges stem from Wittenburg Elementary School.

Childers was given an additional secured bond of $100,000, bringing his total bond amount to $1,350,000. He had a first appearance Monday, March 8, 2021, in Alexander County District Court.

On March 8, 2021, Childers was additionally charged with one count of Felony Secret Peeping, one count of Felony Possession of Secret Peeping Material, and one count of Felony Indecent Liberties with a Minor. Images were taken of a female student while inside a classroom with other students. The images were taken at a school function at Ellendale Elementary School in Alexander County in September 2017. There is no known physical or sexual contact with the victim. Childers was not employed by Alexander County Schools at that time, but was on campus for a school function. Sheriff Bowman has notified school authorities and the parent of the victim.

Childers was given an additional secured bond of $30,000, bringing his total bond amount to $1,380,000.

He will have a first appearance date on this charge of Monday, March 15, 2021, in Alexander County District Court.