The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

UI ‘video peeper’ admits to other cases

The+University+of+Iowa+Campus+looking+west+from+Old+Capitol+and+the+Pentacrest.
Tom Jorgensen
The University of Iowa Campus looking west from Old Capitol and the Pentacrest.

 

The man charged with recording women while they showered in Burge Hall last week gained access with a University of Iowa keycard and allegedly admitted to recording two other women in the same manner.

According to complaints filed by the University of Iowa police on three different incidents, Robert Hightower reportedly told police he filmed three different women as they showered and broke into at least two dorm rooms. Hightower admitted to recorded at least seven videos of women showering in Burge.

The 23-year-old is not a student or affiliated in any way with the UI.

The complaints state Hightower entered Burge around 6:18 a.m. on Feb. 12, made his way to the fourth floor, and entered the 2400 floor women’s restrooms, which are accessible by key. Hightower admitted to officers he filmed a women showering while in the restroom.

On Feb. 13, according to complaints, Hightower entered the women’s restroom on the Burge 2500 floor around 10 a.m., which also requires a key to enter. Hightower told officers he filmed two videos during the Feb. 13 incident.

Sometime during the late evening of Feb. 14 or early morning of Feb. 15, Hightower was able to gain access to a fifth-floor dorm room, found a key-ring and wallet, and took a women’s restroom key.

Hightower returned to Burge the evening of Feb. 15 and recorded a woman while she was showering; he fled after the woman confronted him, the complaint said.

RELATED: Male fled arrest after videotaping a female student showering

While UI police were responding to a complaint of a person videotaping a female showering in the bathroom of Burge later that night, they received word of suspicious activity in a women’s restroom. Hightower was found inside, but he managed to escape after charging at police.

Hightower was arrested by Coralville police on Feb. 16 and transported back to the UI police for questioning in the Feb. 15 incident. There, he reportedly admitted to the two previous incidents.

Hightower faces a number of charges stemming from the various incidents: four counts of trespass and one count each of third-degree harassment and assault and interference with official acts, all of which are simple misdemeanors; three counts of invasion of privacy, one count of assault on a police officer, which are both serious misdemeanors, and third-degree burglary, a Class-D felony.

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