A man caught recording other men in the locker room and shower area of a Texarkana fitness center in June pleaded guilty Thursday to invasive video recording.
William Watkins, 47, appeared before 202nd District Judge John Tidwell with Shoaib Daredia of the Bowie County Public Defenders Office for a hearing Thursday morning. Watkins entered a guilty plea to invasive video recording in a bathroom or dressing room in connection with a June 23 arrest at Planet Fitness in Texarkana, Texas.
Assistant District Attorney Katie Carter told Tidwell the state's sentencing offer is for a two-year state jail term with the entire sentence probated for five years. Tidwell ordered probation officials to complete a presentence investigation report and scheduled Watkins for formal sentencing Nov. 6.
Texarkana, Texas, police were called to the gym after a patron reported seeing a naked man lying on the floor with a cellphone when he stepped briefly out of a shower to retrieve his soap, according to a probable-cause affidavit. When officers entered the locker room, they saw a man walk into a dressing room stall. The officers allowed a few minutes to pass and turned on one of the showers.
At the sound of the water, Watkins, who was nude, allegedly left the stall and started toward the shower. When he saw police, Watkins attempted to dart back into the dressing stall but was stopped before he could close the door. Officers reportedly found two videos of men on Watkins' phone, believed to have been recorded at Planet Fitness. One appeared to be the man who complained and prompted gym staff to call 911, and the other was of an unidentified man sitting in the locker room with the gym's logo visible.
According to the affidavit, Watkins told officers he comes to Planet Fitness to look at porn on his phone.
"The porn described was of other men and he informed his wife does not know," the affidavit states. "Watkins was banned from the property."
Watkins is currently free on a $25,000 bond.