A Chesapeake massage therapist faces 218 misdemeanor charges after police accused him of secretly recording women during appointments without their knowledge or consent.
The Chesapeake Police Department's Criminal Investigations Section obtained the warrants against Erik Christian Sorto, 35, according to the department's Nov. 12 announcement.
Police said investigators have identified approximately 60 potential victims in connection with the case, WAVY reported.
Arrest and criminal charges
Sorto was arrested Nov. 6, according to Chesapeake's public jail booking records.
Those records list 218 misdemeanor counts of unlawful creation of a video or still image of another person.
Police allege that Sorto recorded female clients while working as a massage therapist, without informing them or obtaining their consent.
According to WAVY's coverage of the Nov. 12 court proceedings, investigators recovered more than 700 videos from cloud storage associated with Sorto.
Prosecutors said the recordings involved dozens of clients and that the alleged conduct continued after concerns had been raised.
The public jail record lists a no-bond status. WTKR reported that a judge denied bond during a Nov. 12 hearing.
Investigation involves dozens of clients
The number of charges does not represent the number of people believed to have been recorded. Investigators have identified approximately 60 potential victims, according to police.
The allegations concern recordings made during massage therapy appointments, when clients were receiving treatment.
The reviewed WAVY reporting did not include a substantive response to the allegations from Sorto or his attorney.
People who believe they may have information relevant to the investigation can contact the Chesapeake Police Department's Criminal Investigations Section at 757-382-6251, according to the city's official police directory.
The charges remain allegations. Sorto is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
