A late-night shower at a Mesa gym turned into a criminal case after police say a Gilbert man secretly filmed another man in the locker room. Detectives identified the suspect as 26-year-old Nathan Reese Rhoton, who was arrested Thursday on one count of illegally recording a person, with bond set at $25,000. The investigation started when a gymgoer at an EOS Fitness in Mesa spotted a cellphone tucked under a shower-stall divider.
According to AZFamily, court documents say the victim was showering around 1:30 a.m. on Oct. 9, 2025, when he noticed a phone aimed at him from below the divider. He confronted the person recording, who allegedly handed over the phone, appeared to delete images, then sent himself a video and screenshots tied to an Instagram account and an Apple ID. One of the videos reportedly showed the victim’s face while Rhoton started and stopped the recording.
Detectives later went to Rhoton’s home, where he reportedly admitted to “peeping” at the gym and told officers he recorded the man because he was attracted to the victim’s tattoos, per reporting by KOLD. He was booked into the Maricopa County Jail on the single count, and officials said they had not released additional information on whether other charges or victims were being investigated.
What Arizona law says
Arizona law makes it a crime to secretly record people in places where they reasonably expect privacy, such as locker rooms and showers. The state’s voyeurism statute is codified in A.R.S. 13-1424, and surreptitious photographing or recording is outlined in A.R.S. 13-3019. Those provisions, which are detailed by the Arizona Legislature and summarized on FindLaw, can carry felony penalties. Convictions may include prison time and fines, and penalties can increase if the victim is recognizable.
Case status and next steps
Rhoton faces one count of illegally recording a person and was booked into the Maricopa County Jail with bond set at $25,000, according to KOLD. Prosecutors will decide whether to move forward with formal charges, and no court date was listed in news reports at the time of publication. The incident remains under investigation…