by Laura Garber
Jourdyn Godoy, 25, of Torrance, a former employee of the Hermosa Beach School of Dance and Music, was arrested on Friday, June 13, on multiple felony charges related to hidden cameras found at the school.
On Saturday May 3, Hermosa Beach Police responded to a call from the dance and music school on Aviation Boulevard after parents found multiple hidden cameras in the unisex restrooms used by students, teachers and parents.
Police say the ages of the students at the school range from 2 to 18 years.
According to a Hermosa Police press release issued after the arrest, “Detectives obtained a court-approved search warrant and, with assistance from the Los Angeles Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and conducted a forensic examination that uncovered evidence of the crime.”
The HBPD thanked Hermosa School of Dance and Music for their immediate assistance and transparency during the investigation.
School co-owner Liliana Somma, told ABC7 that the school hired a bug sweeping company after the discovery to ensure the future safety of the students and teachers.
“Also, we bought these regular sweeping devices that we’re going to be doing throughout the day, which I think everyone should be doing,” she told ABC7.
Two personal injury law firms, Kent & Pincin and McNicholas & McNicholas, have filed lawsuits on behalf of a minor and class action lawsuits against the studio.
“The school’s failure to implement proper oversight allowed for the unlawful and invasive recording of children during private moments,” the law firm wrote in a press release.
The lawsuit alleges the cameras found in a whicker basket and in the walls of the bathrooms, captured restroom users in various states of undress. ER
