News

Asheville man charged with secretly taping minors

Hughes

By Bill Moss, Published: April 2, 2014

Henderson County sheriff's deputies charged a 41-year-old Asheville man with making images "to arouse or gratify sexual desire" and with "possessing a photographic image obtained in violation of the peeping statute," alleging that he secretly taped teen-age girls in the shower, the sheriff's department said.

Investigators with the sheriff's Violent Crimes Unit charged Robert Lee Daniel Hughes with the misdemeanor and felony offenses after the department received a complaint. A forensic analysis of his computer led to the discovery of inappropriate videos of minor's on the computer.

"He is now the ex-boyfriend of the child's mother," Maj. Frank Stout said. "He had a used a small recording device that you could set up in a room and make recordings. We received a complaint and were able to investigate and get a search warrant" to look for images in Hughes's computer. The offenses occurred at a home in Henderson County.

Hughes turned himself in to the Henderson County jail on Tuesday and was released after posting a $4,500 secured bond. Hughes was bound over for trial in Henderson County Superior Court after a first appearance in Henderson County District Court on Wednesday.