David Laudati, a former youth swim coach from Newington, Conn., is facing charges of voyeurism for allegedly recording teens while they were changing in a locker room.
The 41-year-old was taken into custody at a residence in Newington on Monday, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.
He was wanted in Maricopa County, Ariz., after a 14-year-old girl discovered a cellphone belonging to Laudati recording her as she was changing.
“The teen found the cellphone inside a mesh pocket on Laudati’s backpack, which was left on top of a changing table,” police in Buckeye, Ariz. said in a press release Tuesday. “The phone screen was reportedly on and displaying what the camera was capturing.”
The alleged incident occurred at a recreation center in Buckeye, a suburb of Phoenix, in September 2023. A subsequent investigation found a total of three victims, ranging in age from 14 to 17 years old.
Police said they found multiple photos of young girls, some partially undressed or nude, taken in the restrooms and locker rooms of the recreation center, which hosted practices for the Arizona Dolphins swim team.
Laudati had been coaching the team at the time of the incidents, and was also affiliated with the swim team at Millennium High School in Goodyear.
He faces a total of 19 felony charges, including 11 counts of voyeurism and eight counts of attempted voyeurism.
Before moving to Arizona, Laudati was a longtime swim coach in Connecticut. He worked at the Mandell Jewish Community Center in West Hartford until leaving in 2019.
“We are not aware of any improprieties during his time with us,” Mandell JCC said in a statement.
Laudati appeared in New Britain Superior Court on Tuesday, where a judge set his bond at $75,000, reported NBC News Connecticut.
He’s next expected to be transferred to Maricopa County to face the charges against him.
