Trainer at Columbia Planet Fitness accused of filming women undress in tanning booths

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia man was charged with a pair of felonies after authorities claim he filmed multiple women while they were undressing at a Planet Fitness.

Kenneth Gerard Steele was charged with invasion of privacy and third-degree domestic assault. A motion to set bond was filed on Wednesday and he was not listed on the Boone County Jail roster on Wednesday afternoon.

According to one of the probable cause statements – which are dated Oct. 15 — police were called to a Planet Fitness location in Columbia after someone received video footage of Steele placing a camera inside of a paper towel holder inside a tanning booth. There are two Planet Fitness locations in Columbia, but court documents redact the location of the business.

Steele is described as a trainer at the business. Minutes after Steele placed the camera in the paper towel holder, a woman entered the room and unknowingly undressed, the statement says. All five paper towel holders had Velcro placed in a similar location, the statement says. Steele reportedly had multiple videos on his phone, court documents say.

When Steele was confronted about the videos by another person, he allegedly assaulted them, the statement says. Police viewed video of the assault. One of the probable cause statements says that Steele allegedly admitted to filming the women.

Court documents say that Steele was fired and others were worried about his mental state after being confronted, the statement says.