Police: Discharged soldier hid camera in child's restroom, recorded video

TACOMA -- A former soldier who told police he was dishonorably discharged while serving in Iraq for possessing child porn now likely faces criminal charges of child pornography possession after he was allegedly found using a hidden camera to record young girls in a bathroom.

Anthony Morales, 33, will likely face charges of distributing child pornography and possession of depictions of a minor engaged in a sexual act from videos found on his computer this summer. Morales is being held in Pierce County Jail in lieu of $150,000 bail.

According to Pierce County Superior Court documents, Tacoma police were alerted in May to Morales after Google determined Morales was sending and receiving child pornography through his email account.

Police obtained a search warrant and looked through Morales' Gmail account, documents show. They allegedly found dozens of pictures and video of underage children engaged in sexual acts. Police also allegedly found emails from Morales' offering to trade videos of a 12-year-old girl he had recorded naked in a Tacoma family's bathroom for for other child pornography videos.

Morales' videos allegedly were taken at a Tacoma home, with his cellphone hidden in a bathroom fan. The videos allegedly showed girls using the shower and restroom.

Police contacted to Morales, who allegedly admitted to hiding a camera to record video. He allegedly confessed he has a sexual attraction to girls as young as 10.

Morales was arrested and is expected to be charged in Pierce County Court soon.