Voyeurism charge laid after complaints about cell phone recordings at Alberta rec centre

MacDonald Island Park in October 2024. (Google Street View)

One person has been charged after police received a voyeurism complaint at a northern Alberta recreation centre.

On Feb. 19, Wood Buffalo RCMP received a complaint that an unknown man had stuck a cellphone under the door of a universal family change room at MacDonald Island Park in Fort McMurray.

The complainant yelled at the person with the phone, who took off.

Staff at the rec centre were notified of the incident.

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As part of its investigation, RCMP discovered that there had been several other complaints made to rec centre staff during February of the man recording employees and customers, but only one complaint of voyeurism.

Police got surveillance footage from the centre, and were able to identify a suspect, who turned himself into RCMP after being contacted by officers on Feb. 20.

A 39-year-old man, who police describe as being “a resident of Egypt” has been charged with voyeurism.

He was released from custody on conditions and is scheduled to appear in court in Fort McMurray on Wednesday.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Wood Buffalo RCMP at 780-788-4040 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.