Local gym tells members about hidden camera 40 days after case is closed

The Five Seasons Sports Club in Carmel sent an email to its members Thursday, alerting them about a police investigation into a hidden recording device found inside a public gym bathroom.

The notification, posted below, comes a day after Fox59 broke the story.

The device was discovered inside a unisex bathroom. It was taped underneath a changing table and pointed directly at the toilet. The club reported it to police on Oct. 19, but waited more than a month to tell its members. Police said the device was a camera.

"We were told that we're not supposed to discuss the case with anybody," said Five Seasons COO Thomas Deere over the phone. "They wanted the investigation to run its course."

Carmel Police told Fox59 a different story. A spokesman said detectives told the gym not to discuss the case with the public until the investigation was complete, but they never told the club not to notify its members.

Five Seasons told its members that investigation wrapped up on Nov. 30. In actuality, Carmel police told Fox59, they closed the case on Oct. 21.

Fox 59's Aishah Hasnie asked Deere, "You weren't aware of that?"

He replied, "Well, uh, you know what, without looking at my documentation, the documents that we have, I'm not, I'm not at liberty to discuss it."

When asked if the club could have notified its members sooner, Deere had no comment.

Five Seasons Sports Club Email to Members:

Dear Members,

On October 19, 2011, a small electronic device was found by a Five Seasons club member in one of our family changing rooms.  Not knowing what the device was, the Carmel Police were immediately notified by Five Seasons Management.  Detectives from the Carmel Police responded, and performed a thorough search of the entire club, looking for any other suspicious devices.  None were found.  The police then launched an official investigation of the incident.  To protect the integrity of the investigation, the Carmel Police Department requested that Five Seasons management not publicly disclose information related to the case.

The final conclusion of the investigation determined that the object was a small recording device, however, it contained no recorded content.  There have been no other known incidents or suspicious activity since.  The Carmel Police officially closed the case on November 30th, 2011.  

At Five Seasons, the safety and care of all our Members, Guests and Team Members is our top priority.  Our team, in conjunction with local authorities, continues to vigilantly monitor our facility for any suspicious activity.  While this is believed to be an isolated incident, we are committed to ensuring the integrity of our organization.  

Should you have any concerns or witness any suspicious activity, please contact a manager or team member as soon as possible and immediate action will be taken.
If you have any additional questions or concerns, please reach out to me.


Regards,
Andrew Schaub-Falls