HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL. –A visit to the nail salon ended with an alleged modern case of ‘Peeping Tom’, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
His search warrant affidavit tells a story that suggests there may be multiple victims in this case classified as “video voyeurismâ€.
A confidential 15-year-old teenager named “JG” arrived for her nail date on May 27 at Great Nails. The lounge is located at 16739 Fishhawk Boulevard where an employee named Tam Le offered her service.
According to the affidavit, JG told Le that she had to use the washroom. The asked him to wash his hands first in a specific public sink. After complying, she attempted to enter the toilet but found it was locked. Tam Le came out of the bathroom shortly after.
JG then entered the restroom to use it.
She suddenly saw a cell phone lying on a shelf behind some rolls of paper towels. JG grabbed the phone and saw it was in video recording mode. She stopped the recording and played it again.
JG told the sheriff’s office the recording showed Tam Le placing the phone on the shelf and exiting just before he entered the washroom.
She said she deleted the video because she captured it undressing. She also said a photo of an Asian woman and a child was posted on Le’s cell phone.
JG returned to Tam Le’s nail salon and offered her his cell phone, which he repeatedly thanked her for finding. He finished his manicure service, but at one point got up and disappeared for ten minutes at the back of the business.
After JG’s manicure service was over, she left and met some friends. Her friends clashed with Tam Le at the nail salon. He was employed by “MBâ€, a confidential 16-year-old client, but gave his cell phone to JG’s friends. After browsing the cell phone for a video of JG, they returned the phone to Le and left the living room.
However, the 16-year-old client “MB” observed Le frantically browsing the apps on his cell phone. She told the sheriff’s office that he had deleted an unknown number of “iMessages”.
Another woman was receiving salon services when the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office was conducting its on-site investigation. She said she was also advised to wash her hands at a public sink before using the toilet.
She also met Tam Le, who was in the bathroom when she tried to enter. However, she did not notice a cell phone present during her visit to the bathroom.
Investigators at the scene approached Tam Le, whose phone displayed a photo of a woman and a child. Sheriff’s deputies confiscated Le’s phone at that time, and the search warrant affidavit seeks to conduct a forensic analysis on the contents of the phone.
The Free Press contacted Great Nails on Saturday, June 19 and spoke with salon owner Mr. Phuc.
Phuc was asked if Tam Le was available to talk, and he replied that he was not in the living room. Phuc added that Le was no longer an active employee but said: “He worked here for a long time.”
We will update this story as details of the HCSO search warrant are released.
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