A North Miami Beach police captain has appeared in court to face a criminal charge of video voyeurism, according to CBS News Miami. Authorities identified him as Jose Maya, who was taken into custody on an arrest warrant. The case has drawn attention because of his rank within the department.
During the hearing, Maya was told he was under arrest pursuant to an arrest warrant charging him with video voyeurism. Throughout the proceeding he remained silent, with his side declining to address the question of probable cause at that stage.
According to the station's account, the allegation is that Maya recorded a 23-year-old woman without her knowledge while she was inside a bathroom. Prosecutors laid out the charge as the first court steps in the case got underway.
The woman told police that the first such incident had happened about a year earlier. She said she had grown suspicious of the man's behavior over time and was able to confirm those suspicions roughly a week before the arrest was made.
The North Miami Beach police chief has addressed the arrest of one of his captains, describing the allegations as deeply concerning and calling them a serious breach. The chief said Maya has been relieved of duty as the matter proceeds.
The relief of duty is pending both the criminal investigation into the charge and the department's own internal administrative review. According to the chief, the two tracks are moving forward at the same time.
As of the latest information, the case was working its way through its early stages in court. Investigators and the department were continuing their separate reviews as the legal process surrounding the charge began to unfold.