Stuart landlord ordered to prison for installing hidden cameras to spy on 12-year-old girl
STUART – A Stuart landlord arrested in 2022 after sheriff's investigators found photos of a nude 12-year-old girl on his phone and cameras they said he hid in the electric outlets of her bedroom was ordered to prison for 18 months Wednesday, according to a state prosecutor.
Bruce Wayne Grady, 62, of the 3000 block of Southeast Hawthorne Street, in Stuart, was also ordered to serve three years of sex offender probation following his release from prison.
He was arrested on Sept. 30, 2022 after Martin County sheriff’s deputies found hidden cameras in the bedroom and bathroom of the family who rented one side of a duplex he owned.
Grady lived next door to the family, according to an arrest report charging him with video voyeurism by a person 24 years of age or older on a child less than 16 years of age.
He avoided a trial in February by pleading no contest to nine felony offenses: six counts of video voyeurism under clothing by an offender 24 or older, and three counts of video voyeurism-installation or use.
As part of his plea deal, Grady acknowledged he faced a maximum total of 105 years in prison, court records show.
In court Wednesday, Assistant State Attorney Kristen Chase recommended Circuit Judge William Roby order Grady to spend at least eight years in prison.
Roby though, imposed a term of less than two years, a punishment that wasn’t supported by the girl’s family, Chase said via text after court.
“It’s certainly understandable why the family was disappointed in the sentence, given his crimes and the possibility that he could have received up to 105 years in prison,” Chase said Thursday.
Grady’s attorney Jason M. Wandner on Thursday said Roby took into consideration that Grady accepted responsibility, avoided putting the family through a trial and was seeking help for himself.
“Mr. Grady acknowledged that he made a terrible mistake," he said. "And from the time of his arrest until yesterday, he and I, on his behalf, have worked with the family to try to alleviate the strain that the situation had placed on them.”
He said since his arrest, Grady has gained “tremendous insight into some of the issues that he has internally, that led to this mistake that was made.”
Grady, who has no criminal record, has been receiving treatment through the Veteran’s Administration, Wandner said, including “psychological and mental health counseling.”
According to Grady’s arrest affidavit here’s what happened:
The girl and a family member became suspicious of Grady after they discovered him doing electrical work in their residence without prior notice on Sept. 12, 2022.
A few weeks later when the girl found she couldn’t plug her laptop into an outlet in her bedroom, she saw a red reflection from a hole in the outlet.
She downloaded an application that scans for hidden cameras which detected unknown cameras in the home, investigators reported.
When the family summoned the Sheriff's Office, a responding deputy discovered a camera hidden in the outlet of the child's bedroom. Another camera that faced the shower was found in an outlet in the girl's bathroom.
The deputy found a black box attached to the back of the plug. The box had a sim card attached to it and a camera.
After finding the cameras, investigators questioned Grady, who initially denied installing them.
When he allowed investigators to search his phone, they found videos of the girl in her bathing suit using the pool in the backyard, and a secure folder that contained nude photos of her in the bathroom.
Confronted with the photos, Grady told deputies he installed the cameras and used an app on his phone to capture photos and videos of the child.
“Grady stated multiple times that he was fighting his inner demons when it came to watching the victim,” investigators reported.
In court Wednesday, Grady apologized to the girl’s family, Wandner said.
“He stated to the court and to the family, how sorry he was for what he had done, and that he was sincere in his apology,” Wandner said. “And that he was going to try to fix himself so that this never happens again.”
Wandner, who had requested a sentence of house arrest, said in crafting Grady’s punishment, Roby considered his lack of a criminal past, that he pleaded no contest and what he’d done to help himself since his arrest.
“We appreciate the judge’s consideration of our mitigation testimony," Wandner said, "and we believe that his sentence was eminently fair."
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Melissa E. Holsman is the legal affairs reporter for TCPalm and Treasure Coast Newspapers and is writer and co-host of "Uncertain Terms," a true-crime podcast. Reach her at melissa.holsman@tcpalm.com. If you are a subscriber, thank you. If not, become a subscriber to get the latest local news on the Treasure Coast.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Stuart landlord convicted of installing hidden cameras to spy on girl
