OKLAHOMA CITY (TCN) — A photographer and editor at a news station has been arrested after an investigation found he allegedly placed cameras in dressing rooms to spy on people as they undressed.
According to an affidavit obtained by The Oklahoman, janitorial staff contacted the authorities on March 24 when they found two cameras in dressing rooms at the KWTV news station. Police reviewed the footage found on the SD cards inside the cameras and determined that the cameras were moved or repositioned, and whoever had done so had accessed them several times.
According to the Oklahoman, an investigator wrote, “The cameras and battery packs had been found mounted to adhesive Velcro strips underneath clothing racks within the room. … A review of the extracted video footage confirmed the cameras had been active and had recorded multiple subjects who used the dressing room areas in private settings.”
An investigation determined Darrell Lee Vannostran, 40, was the suspect, based on the timestamps on the footage. Vannostran allegedly came into the station when he was not scheduled to be there, and those times lined up with the timestamps, according to WAVY.
Vannostran worked at the station as the supervisor of the photography and videography department. WFMD reports he won several Heartland TV Emmy awards in 2025 as a photographer and editor.
When law enforcement spoke to him on April 2, he allegedly acknowledged he knew about the cameras. After he retained an attorney, police seized his phones and three UBS drives. Images on his devices showed people undressing in the dressing rooms.
According to WFMD, it has not been made clear whether the cameras were used to record station guests or staff.
WFMD reports Vannostran was arrested for the use of photo or video equipment in a clandestine manner in a private place at his home on April 21. He remains in custody on a $25,000 bond; he has not yet been formally charged.
The New York Post reports Vannostran is no longer employed by the station, but it is unclear if he was fired or if he quit.
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