York man guilty of voyeurism after peeping, taking photos in woman’s bathroom window
A York man who took pictures of a neighbor through her bathroom window will have to register as a sex offender for life, according to prosecutors and court records.
Adam Daniel Cobb, 37, pleaded guilty in York County criminal court Monday to voyeurism, said Sharon Ohayon, 16th Circuit assistant solicitor. Cobb was sentenced to one year of house arrest with a GPS monitor, and three years probation, according to Ohayon and court records.
Cobb agreed to a plea deal where five pending charges of voyeurism were consolidated into a guilty plea, Ohayon said.
Cobb must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life as part of the negotiated sentence, Ohayon said.
Cobb targeted a neighbor he had known for years, Ohayon said. The victim testified in court Monday how her sense of safety was taken, Ohayon said.
“The victim was traumatized by what happened,” Ohayon said. “This affected her sense of well-being. She felt violated and still does.”
The Herald is not naming the street or neighborhood to protect the identity of the victim.
Secret pictures and videos
York Police Department officers uncovered cell phone pictures and videos that Cobb had in August 2019 after he was arrested in April of 2019, according to police and court records. The images showed the peeping had been ongoing for months, officials said.
Cobb was first arrested after the victim saw that a screen had been damaged and evidence was left at the scene, documents show. The victim told officers she saw a camera flash and heard noises outside the window, police said.
Voyeurism is defined under South Carolina law as a person who, “for the purpose of arousing or gratifying sexual desire of any person, he or she knowingly views, photographs, audio records, video records, produces, or creates a digital electronic file, or films another person, without that person’s knowledge and consent, while the person is in a place where he or she would have a reasonable expectation of privacy.”
Voyeurism carries a maximum of three years in prison for a conviction under South Carolina law.
Sex offenders must register with law enforcement in the county of their residence, South Carolina law states. The registry is reciprocal in any other state, so Cobb will have to register with police no matter where he lives, Ohayon said.
The State Law Enforcement Division in South Carolina publishes a public Web site where sex offenders can be looked up by name or address.
