Woman finds camera in air vent — with footage of man installing it, FL cops say

Routine cleaning led to a disturbing find in a woman’s bedroom: A camera was tucked in one of the air vents, according to investigators in the Florida Panhandle.

The discovery was made Friday, April 11, at a home near Fort Walton Beach, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said in an April 30 news release.

“The victim says she was cleaning the ceiling and wall vents in her home ... and noticed a glare in the air vent,” the sheriff’s office reported.

“When she stood on a small table she spotted a camera, which she immediately took down and turned off.”

Detectives downloaded the camera’s memory card and discovered it “had been been recording the victim in her bedroom since February 17 ... including times when she was undressed.”

A man also appeared in the footage, setting up and adjusting the camera, officials said. “His face is revealed along with a tattoo on his left forearm,” the sheriff’s office said.

Detectives used the footage to track down 30-year-old Jason Lee Carpenter, who was identified as “an acquaintance” of the victim, officials said. He lives in Fort Walton Beach.

“The victim recently installed a Ring doorbell camera at her residence in Fort Walton Beach and on April 25th, Carpenter can be seen approaching, then leaving when he spots the camera,” officials said.

He was arrested April 30 and charged with video voyeurism of a victim 19 years or older and burglary of an unoccupied dwelling, officials said.

Fort Walton Beach is about a 40-mile drive east from Pensacola.

This story was originally published May 2, 2025 at 7:20 AM with the headline "Woman finds camera in air vent — with footage of man installing it, FL cops say."