RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 4 sourceson Google Preferred Source Google News Link copied to clipboard By Patricia Hernandez Published Aug 5, 2026, 12:51 PM EDT News A former director of engineering is accused of recording people without their consent
The Pokémon Company says it will use facial recognition to sell cards A Pokémon Center update might change everything for fans who are sick of scalpers The Pokémon Company says it will use facial recognition to sell cards Pokémon sued over former exec's alleged secret bathroom cameras Pokémon Sign in to your Polygon.com account Ben Tsai, a former director of engineering at The Pokémon Company International, was arrested in July 2026 following charges stemming from footage filmed inside the business's Bellevue offices. Now, the company is facing a class action lawsuit from an anonymous former worker who claims that TPCI failed to protect its employees.
As reported by The Seattle Times , the lawsuit alleged that Tsai filmed women and children at "various stages of undress while they used the bathroom." The Pokémon Company International did not immediately respond to a request by Polygon for comment.
In January 2026, Tsai was charged with first-degree voyeurism after a camera was discovered inside a Starbucks. The charging documents state that Tsai surveilled the camera feed live on his phone while sitting outside the bathroom.
Tsai told police at the time that he had also placed cameras to spy on family members and within grocery stores. Authorities soon discovered that Tsai possessed hundreds of videos of adult nudity and child sexual abuse, some of which he allegedly recorded. A report filed in January states that Tsai told police he was “mainly curious about transgender people and was not attracted to children." TMZ reports that Tsai claimed he had recorded footage fewer than 50 times since 2017. However, authorities say they found 89 videos recorded from the Pokémon offices. Four of the identified subjects say they did not consent to being recorded.
Tsai, who is currently being held at a correctional facility on $500,000 bail, plans to plead not guilty to all charges, according to his attorneys. Beyond the voyeurism charges, he has been charged with first degree possession and dealing of material depicting minors in sexually explicit conduct, as well as second degree possession.
The lawsuit accuses The Pokémon Company International of failing to properly train Tsai and to make "reasonable efforts" to control him and protect other employees. The lawsuit also argues that Tsai violated Washington's anti-discrimination laws.
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