Photographer accused of taking inappropriate photos at high school's homecoming event

SUSSEX COUNTY, Del. (FOX 29) - Authorities have arrested and charged a man they say was hired to take photos for a homecoming event at Sussex Technical College but instead secretly took inappropriate photos.

Sussex County officials arrested 34-year-old Elias Stephens after they say he intentionally and secretly videotaped and took photos under the clothing of women at the homecoming.

Stephens did it to see their bodies or undergarments, according to authorities.

The investigation started Sept. 29, 2018 when Delaware State Police received a report about inappropriate pictures and the involvement of a photographer hired for the school dance.

Stephens worked for an entertainment company and was running a photo booth at the dance.

Detectives say they identified multiple victims throughout the state but it is unclear whether the victims were students, teachers or both.

Sussex Technical School District addressed the investigation in the following statement:

" The District is pleased to have assisted and cooperated with the Delaware State Police during the thorough and diligent investigation. The safety and well-being of our students is our top priority, and our school safety officers are present at all school functions for the protection of students and staff. When concerns were brought to the attention of administrators, we acted immediately and informed law enforcement authorities on hand. Counseling services are and have been available to any member of the Sussex Tech community."

On Jan. 15, Stephens was indicted on 80 counts of violation of privacy.

He was taken into custody two weeks ago in Mississippi where authorities say he moved during the investigation. On Tuesday, he was brought back to Delaware to face charges.

He is being held on $160,000 bail.

It's unclear if Stephens was hired for any other school events in the district.

If he manages to post bond, Stephens will be required to wear GPS monitoring, he will be subjected to pre-trial supervision, and he won't be allowed access to any devices that can take pictures or record.