University Park, PA (WJAC) — Authorities with Penn State University police say a campus professor is facing charges after being accused of stalking and taking "up-skirt" photos of a fellow faculty member.
According to the affidavit, police say the victim reported in early August that she believed that a man, who was unknown to her, had been following her around inside the Willard Building and attempting to take photos of her "up her dress or skirt."
Police say the victim told investigators that the man would "linger around the stairwell" inside the building.
On one occasion, police say the victim told authorities that she noticed the man following "extremely close" to her and noticed that he was holding his cell phone below his waist in a way that made her believe that he was attempting to take photos of her.
Police say upon reviewing surveillance video from the stairwell, they confirmed the victim's belief that the man was attempting to photograph her underneath her clothing.
Authorities say they then reviewed additional surveillance video that showed the man routinely leave the Hosler Building and walk over to the Willard Building where he appeared to wait for the victim to exit her classroom.
Police say video surveillance showed the man routinely following the victim throughout the Willard Building and into the stairwell, citing 15 different instances where he allegedly "stalked" her.
According to the affidavit, police were able to identify the man as 36-year-old Brandon Schwartz who, according to the university's directory, is an Assistant Research Professor in the field of Earth and Mineral Sciences.
Police say Schwartz was interviewed and shown still photographs from the surveillance footage, which he noted "being depicted in the images," the affidavit states.
However, police say Schwartz denied following any female faculty members.
Police say throughout the investigation, the victim, who was able to identify Schwartz via a photo array, expressed feelings of fear and anxiety from the encounters.
Police say the victim denied knowing Schwartz in any capacity and said that she was planning to "transition to a different building" for the upcoming fall semester but was still fearful that he would be able to track her down.
Investigators say a search of Schwartz's phone revealed that he had attempted to identify the victim via internet searches, and police noted that he had also reportedly searched such things as, "what is a peeping Tom?", "what is voyeurism?", and "common examples of voyeurism."
According to online court records, Schwartz faces charges of stalking and attempted invasion of privacy.
6 News reached out to the university for comment, who provided the following response:
The University is aware of these disturbing criminal charges and is investigating in accordance with Penn State policy and applicable law. The University is committed to maintaining a safe environment for all members of the Penn State Community.ncG1vNJzZmivmpawtcKNnKamZ56axLS4xK2rnqpdma6quNhop6ikmZiybrzSrmSpqp%2BbsrS%2FzqtkmpuTqsCmsIyonWarpJa5rLXNoGStmZueu6h51KlkrKOZp8FuvMeoq6irXaSzbrLAnKylrKliuqa5wZ6p