Couple claims condo rented through Airbnb had camera hidden in smoke detector, reports say
Channel: AUDIO STORIES - Vlog
Date: 11/10/2017

Atiny camera hidden in a smoke detector in a room rented through the hospitality service Airbnb was meant to record private sex parties and not tenants, according to the unit’s owner.

Wayne Natt, 56, of southwest Florida, is charged with video voyeurism, Manatee County Sheriff’s Office records show.

Natt was arrested after an Indiana man and his wife found a tiny camera and microphone hidden inside a bedroom smoke detector in a Longboat Key condominium they found on Airbnb, WFLA television reported.

A similar device was found in the living room.

Natt lives in the unit when it’s not rented and told investigators the cameras are for his personal use and aren’t turned on when guests are there.

But police told WFLA the cameras can be operated remotely and that a search turned up numerous recordings — including one of the couple from Indiana.

The Indiana man, Derek Starnes, told WFTS television that he and his wife were “freaked out” by what he found after noticing a small black hole in the smoke detector.

Starnes shared a photo from the device with news organizations saying it might help other people recognize the room and come forward if they were unwittingly recorded.

Police are skeptical about Natt’s claim that people he hosted for private sex parties knew they were being recorded.

“If people are consenting to recording sexual activity, why is it in a hidden smoke alarm?” Longboat Key Lt. Bob Bourque told WFTS.

In a statement issued to southwest Florida news outlets Airbnb spokesman Benjamin Breit said, “We are outraged at the reports of what happened; as soon as we were made aware, we permanently banned this individual from our community and fully supported the affected guests.”

The statement went on to say that Airbnb takes “privacy issues extremely seriously.”

Natt was arrested on Sept. 29 and later released on a bond of $1,500, records show.

He did not answer the door when sought for comment by WFTS.