A former Pinole police officer has been charged with using a hidden camera in his bedroom to film himself having sex with a woman who did not consent to the recording. The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office said Anthony Vasquez, 24, may victimized other women using the hidden camera at his home in Hercules.
On May 13, the Pinole Police Department “received an email containing photographic evidence of an officer engaged in sexual acts on multiple occasions involving different women,” police said. The sender told police “Vasquez sent the images and video via group chat and believed the women were not aware of the recordings,” police said.
The Pinole Police Department contacted the District Attorney’s Office, which opened a criminal investigation.
Vasquez was immediately placed on administrative leave. He resigned from the Pinole Police Department on June 28.
The DA subsequently charged Vasquez with one felony count and one misdemeanor for alleged unlawful video recording.
“This type of conduct will not be tolerated, which is why we took immediate action as soon as we learned of the situation,” Pinole Police Chief Neil Gang said in a statement. “I, as well as this entire department, deeply care about the community and our duty to protect and serve. We know behavior such as this can damage the trust and partnership between law enforcement and the community. The egregious behavior of one, does not reflect the hardworking women and men of the Pinole Police Department.”
Anyone with additional information regarding this investigation is asked to call the DA’s Office, specifically Senior Inspector Steven Cheatham at (925) 957-8761.
