Former Expedia employee gets 4 years in prison for Seattle bathroom spy camera case

Former Expedia employee sentenced in bathroom voyeurism case

A former Expedia employee was sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple felony counts in a wide-ranging voyeurism case involving hidden cameras on the company’s Seattle campus.

SEATTLE - A former Expedia employee was sentenced Friday to four years in prison in a massive voyeurism case involving hidden bathroom cameras on the company’s Seattle campus.

Marcelo Vargas-Fernandez pleaded guilty to 14 felony counts of voyeurism and two misdemeanor counts for violating a sexual assault protection order.

Marcelo Vargas-Fernandez

The case began in December 2023, when an Expedia employee reported finding what appeared to be a hidden camera under a bathroom sink.

Court documents say campus security contractor Securitas believed the device was a music player or battery backup and did not remove it.

Prosecutors say Vargas-Fernandez recorded multiple people in 2023, with at least 10 victims captured on the bathroom camera and others still unidentified.

Investigators also found Vargas-Fernandez purchased several spy cameras and high-capacity hard drives, and he admitted secretly recording his ex-wife in her home.

In court, victims described the lasting impact of the recordings through victim advocates.

"I will wonder for the rest of my life if there is more footage of me somewhere, and whether I can be identified by another person," one victim stated. "The constant question, ‘Am I being watched?’ is exhausting."

Vargas-Fernandez apologized and claimed he was in a dark time, going through a divorce and losing loved ones.

Prosecutors estimate nearly 60 women may have been recorded, though 14 victims chose to come forward.

The judge ordered Vargas-Fernandez to register as a sex offender after his release, and also be under community supervision once he gets out.

Victims are pursuing a civil lawsuit against Securitas as well. FOX 13 Seattle has reached out to Securitas to get a response to that lawsuit.

MORE NEWS FROM FOX 13 SEATTLE

New Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson talks homelessness, police tensions and World Cup countdown

Seattle leaders combat 'misinformation', say open-air drug use still means arrests

Here's everything to know about the 2026 Super Bowl

Seattle ranks as the best US city for keeping New Year's resolutions in 2026, data shows

WA trooper struck, injured in multi-car crash on SR 512

To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.

Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.