ANN ARBOR (WWJ) - A Washtenaw County man is behind bars for the second time on Thursday after authorities linked him to more incidents of recording people in public bathrooms in Ann Arbor.
The Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office charged Erric Morton, 35, with new 13 felony counts yesterday, Ann Arbor Police Lt. Bonnie Theil said, one week after he was charged on a dozen similar counts of hiding cameras in bathrooms of public buildings and businesses in and around Ann Arbor.
The new charges include seven counts of capturing/distributing images of an unclothed person and six counts for using computers to commit a crime.
Morton is being lodged at the county jail until his arraignment on Friday, Theil said.
Police say the original charges involved incidents that occurred between January and July -- authorities served a search warrant on Morton's home and seized his computer and electronic devices in July and September.
Morton was arrested on Sept. 6 on accusations of installing hidden cameras in business restrooms, including Altar’d State, Bath & Body Works and Starbucks.
According to court records, Morton had posted a $100,000 bond last week and left jail, but further police investigation showed new footage captured by Morton between July 22 and Sept. 6.
“Out of concern for the safety of the community, AAPD detectives (with assistance from MSP) expedited the analysis of Morton’s devices and discovered additional videos,” Theil said in a statement via The Detroit News.
Police say the most recent footage was captured in a Starbucks bathroom in the 2700 block of Plymouth and the Hampton Inn & Suite's bathroom off the main lobby on Jackson, Theil said.
At least six victims were identified but there could be more.
“We won’t have a solid total number until all the devices are thoroughly looked at. Not sure how long that will be as it can be a lengthy process," Theil said to The Detroit News.
According tot he Michigan Department of Corrections, Morton is not unknown to law enforcement. He was released from prison on Jan. 27 after he was charged in 2015 on a multiple counts of capturing/distributing images of an unclothed person and using computers to commit a crime, The Detroit News reported via online court records.
Investigators with the Ann Arbor Police are still searching for information related to the incidents and have asked tipsters to contact police at 734-794-6939.