Former state parks chief faces charges for ‘secretly filming lifeguards in California locker room

A former state parks superintendent accused of recording naked lifeguards at a Bolsa Chica State Beach locker room was scheduled to be arraigned Thursday

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A former state parks superintendent accused of recording male lifeguards as they got changed will be arraigned in a Southern California court this morning.

Kevin Pearsall, 59, a resident of Long Beach, is facing five felony counts of eavesdropping, 23 misdemeanor counts of secretly filming another, and three misdemeanor counts of unlawful dissemination of private recordings,according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office.

The alleged incidents occurred inside the locker rooms of Bolsa Chica State Beach’s lifeguard headquarters, just north of Huntington Beach.

Attorney Mark Peacock, who is representing some of the lifeguards in the case, alleges that some of his clients were underage when the alleged filming took place.

“I think there are legitimate fears,” Peacock said when asked about how the case will impact the victims, adding that they were fearful that the recordings may have been made public.

“I’ve talked to the clients’ parents and I have emotional people on hands and they’re terrified. A couple of them have said to me that they’ve tried to do everything right and this happens.”

The investigation began when a USB memory stick was found in the locker rooms of the gym headquarters in July 2025, prosecutors allege.

Officials said that during the course of their investigation, Pearsall admitted to recording the locker rooms over an 11-month period starting in August 2024.

The former superintendent is also accused of sending suggestive photos to victims and making remarks about their bodies.

Another victim, who viewed Pearsall as a “mentor,” is described as being “devastated” by the ordeal, according to his attorney, Ron Zambrano.

Zambrano said that his client, a younger lifeguard, was rewarded by Pearsall with a locker in what was perceived as a better part of the room.

“But it also happened to be a better angle for the camera,” the lawyer said. Zambrano added that he’s heard the investigation might go back as far as 2019.

Last month, celebrity lawyer Gloria Allred announced that her office had filed a lawsuit against Pearsall.

At a press conference announcing the suit, victim Matthew Dawson spoke publicly about the agony he had been through since the camera was discovered.

“Our management sat us down for a meeting at work. They told us what Kevin did. It was like getting punched in the stomach. There were no words. I couldn't believe it. When I was naked, changing into uniform in the locker room, I remember Kevin directing me to the back area. I never thought anything of it. It just seemed eccentric and now I feel he was setting me up to undress on camera,” he said.

Another victim, Richard Corey, explained how he believes Pearsall operated.

“They don't encourage us to be in uniform when we arrive. We look too much like police officers, so we have to change in there,” he said.

Peasall, who started work with the parks service in 1994, retired in 2025 after the allegations first surfaced. If convicted on all counts, he faces 18 years in prison.

Indexed and credited by AIPROPX. Originating outlet: The Independent. Open at source →