Virginia man sues Starbucks for bathroom spy cam

GlobalPost

A Norfolk, Virginia man is suing Starbucks for $1 million after his daughter found a small video camera in the bathroom of one of the company's coffee shops in Washington D.C.

From ABC News:

William Yockey, 28, is asking for $1 million for negligence, failure to supervise employees, breach of privacy and failure to inspect facilities in a timely manner.

Yockey and his family were sightseeing in the U.S. capital in April when the incident occurred. The Starbucks in question is just blocks from the National Mall.

According to ABC News, Yockey took his five-year-old daughter into a unisex bathroom he described as "filthy." While the little girl was washing her hands, she turned to Yockey and said "Daddy, there's a camera."

Yockey went to the manager, who called the police. An investigation is currently underway to try and find out who left the device.

"We, as a company, take our obligation to provide a safe environment very seriously," Starbucks spokesman Alan Hilowitz said. "When we were alerted, we called the police."

But Yockey remains upset.

"It's embarrassing, humiliating even today," he said. "Every father feels the same way about his little girl. [The recording] could have been all over the Internet. She could have been violated."

According to Reuters, this marks the third incident involving cameras and Starbucks bathrooms this year.

A man was arrested in May for placing a camera in a California Starbucks and recording at least 40 women. A man was arrested in June for putting a camera in a Florida Starbucks.

ABC News reports that there is no date set for the trial, but a court has already rejected Starbucks' motion to dismiss the case.

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