Ex-state parks superintendent accused of secretly recording naked lifeguards
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LOS ANGELES - A former California State Parks Superintendent has been charged with secretly filming nearly two dozen naked state lifeguards and other workers inside an employee locker room.
The recordings allegedly took place at the Bolsa Chica State Beach Lifeguard Headquarters in Huntington Beach, where the suspect also allegedly shared nude images of three victims with two other men.
What we know:
Kevin Pearsall, 59, of Long Beach, served as a California State Parks Superintendent from 2023 through July 2025, a sworn law enforcement position overseeing operations in the Orange Coast District.
He had been employed by California State Parks since 1994.
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) launched an investigation after a sworn state park officer discovered a USB stick containing a hidden camera in the men's employee locker room in July 2025.
The investigation revealed Pearsall was responsible for placing the hidden cameras, which captured both audio and video of 23 different men without their consent over an 11-month period.
Pearsall is also accused of sending several of the recorded photographs to two men and making sexually charged comments about his employees' genitals.
Pearsall turned himself in on June 24 on a $500,000 arrest warrant.
He was released by a judge on his own recognizance and faces five felony counts of eavesdropping, 23 misdemeanor counts of secretly filming another, and three misdemeanor counts of unlawful dissemination of private recordings.
What we don't know:
The identities of the 23 victims or the two men with whom Pearsall allegedly shared the explicit images have not been disclosed.
It is also unspecified whether additional hidden cameras were deployed in other facilities during his tenure dating back to 1994.
What they're saying:
"Instead of protecting his employees, Pearsall used his position to spy on the men who worked for him while they were in the place where they should have been the safest and then share those intimate images of his victims," said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer.
"These victims had their privacy violated in such a disgusting way, and we will do everything we can to ensure they receive the justice they deserve."
What's next:
Pearsall is scheduled to be arraigned on August 6.
If convicted on all counts, he faces a maximum sentence of 18 years and eight months in the Orange County Jail.
The Source: This report is based on information provided by the Orange County District Attorney's Office.