Dallas Firefighter Hid Camera in Firehouse Bathroom, Brought Sex Toys to Work, Police Say

A former Dallas firefighter was arrested this week after he was accused of placing a hidden camera in a fire station bathroom.Craig Lawrence, 35, was booked into the Dallas County Jail on Wednesday on a charge of attempted invasive visual recording.The camera was discovered last month at Dallas Fire-Rescue's Station 11 in Oak Lawn, according to an arrest warrant affidavit. A chief at the station noticed the device, which was disguised as a USB charger, plugged into a wall.When the chief questioned his crew about the camera, Lawrence said it belonged to him, claiming the device was used to charge an iPod. But the chief told officials he had never seen Lawrence using an iPod, the warrant states.Lawrence initially said he didn't know the device was a camera, but then told detectives the camera was used to find out who was going through his duffel bag at work, according to the affidavit. He said it was placed in the bathroom by accident.In a private conversation with the chief, he expressed concerns about the investigation, the document states."I'm about to lose everything, I'm going to go to jail," he said according to the affidavit. "I'm going to lose my job and my kids."It is believed the camera had been at the station since at least Thanksgiving, according to a firefighter who told police he first noticed the device in November. He and other employees expressed concern that their family members were recorded by the camera after they used the bathroom on visits to the station, the warrant states.A search warrant was executed on the device in late January, and detectives determined it was a camera designed to look like a USB charger to secretly record audio and video, the warrant states. A MicroSD card was also obtained, according to the affidavit, but data from the device couldn't be recovered because it had been damaged.Witnesses questioned by investigators said Lawrence regularly told sexually explicit stories and has shared nude photos of his girlfriend at work, the warrant states. They also said Lawrence has previously brought a box of sex toys to the station.A search warrant was also executed at Lawrence's home, and detectives found the box co-workers described. Detectives also found a drawing of a firefighter using the restroom, the warrant says, and determined that Lawrence's web history included voyeur porn websites, including hidden camera footage of women using bathrooms.Lawrence resigned from Dallas Fire-Rescue, according to spokesman Jason Evans."Craig Alan Lawrence was a member of Dallas Fire-Rescue for 5 years," Evans said in a statement. "He was placed on Administrative Leave when the matter was first brought to the Department's attention. He subsequently resigned from the Department while under investigation, and is no longer an employee with the City of Dallas."Lawrence's resignation happened in late January, according to WFAA-TV (Channel 8), which reported he became a firefighter in Wilmer. Lawrence has since been placed on administrative leave at his new job, a city official told the station.He remained in the Dallas County Jail on Thursday, with no bail amount set, jail records show.  Continue reading...