Bailey, Javins & Carter Files Lawsuit Against Amazon in Hidden Camera Case
Bailey, Javins & Carter, LC has filed a lawsuit on behalf of an underage Brazilian exchange student against Amazon over their role in enabling a Huntington man to secretly record videos of her with a hidden camera. This lawsuit has received worldwide attention, with stories published in outlets such as Fox News, BBC, the New York Post, Bloomberg, and many others.
The lawsuit alleges that 51-year-old Darrel Wells purchased a hidden camera disguised as a clothes hook from Amazon and used it to secretly record videos of the teenager in private spaces like her bathroom. Wells was hosting the girl as a foreign exchange student at his Huntington home when the recordings occurred.
“This girl’s privacy was horribly violated by someone who installed a spy camera in a bathroom. It’s as if the Amazon depiction of the spy camera disguised as a hook holding a bath towel inspired the unlawful conduct giving rise to this cause of action. Our lawsuit alleges that Amazon encouraged this criminal behavior by allowing this disturbing product to be sold on their website without proper oversight or review by platform managers.”
The motion-activated camera was purchased by Wells through Amazon’s Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) program. According to Javins, despite Amazon claiming to inspect products in this program, they failed to identify an obvious hidden camera marketed for unlawful purposes.
“Just look at the product listing – it shows the hook holding a bath towel. Where are bath towels typically hung? In a bathroom, of course” continued Javins.
After being notified of the camera’s use for illegal recording, Amazon initially failed to ban the product. Only after the threat of legal action and extensive media coverage highlighting Amazon’s role did they finally remove the product from their platform. However, there are many similar hidden spy cameras disguised as ordinary household objects that are still available on Amazon today. “We intend to hold Amazon fully accountable and hope this finally spurs meaningful change in their policies regarding spy cameras and other products that facilitate illicit or criminal activity.”
The victim is seeking unspecified damages from Amazon as well as a jury trial. Her legal team plans to demonstrate how Amazon neglected its duty to inspect and remove this dangerous product from its massive retail platform.
“What happened to our client is every parent’s nightmare – a child being victimized and exploited. If Amazon won’t take seriously their responsibility in stopping incidents like these, then we’ll make sure the court does.”
For more details and case updates, contact our office today at (304) 345-0346 or message us online.
