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MCAO: Adult student charged after filming up girls' skirts at Thunderbird High School

Austin Roberts.png
Posted at 3:04 PM, Feb 18, 2020
and last updated 2020-02-18 17:04:24-05

PHOENIX — An adult high school student has been charged after shooting video up the skirts of girls at Thunderbird High School in north Phoenix.

Last week the Maricopa County Attorneys' Office charged 18-year-old Austin Roberts with surreptitious recording.

According to court records, Roberts was caught last December when he was allegedly seen shooting video up a girl's sweatshirt at Thunderbird High School, near 19th Avenue and Thunderbird Road.

A school official took the phone and brought Roberts to the school office, where he allegedly admitted that "he had a video on his phone that was inappropriate."

Police say the victim wanted the video deleted from the phone. When the school official went to delete the file, they reportedly discovered "a large amount of other videos that (Roberts) took of other females at the school."

At that time, the phone was given over to Phoenix police. The digital forensics department reportedly found multiple videos of Roberts upskirting girls in classrooms, hallways, and on the staircases.

Police say there were many recordings taken under the skirts of about seven female students. Court records show that police have identified three victims so far.

At his initial court appearance, it was learned that Roberts no longer attends Thunderbird High School. He has been released with electronic monitoring and cannot have a smartphone, per the judge's order.