Peeper Is Prison Bound

BY C.L. HARMON
PUBLISHER
A former Mannford resident and man who called himself a ghost hunter at the time of his arrest has pleaded guilty on several counts pertaining to eerie and creepy acts that could haunt those involved for years to come. Tommy Smith (43) had been accused of violating the “Peeping Tom” (Voyeurism) statute and other charges pertaining to doing so with minors.
Smith was charged with four counts of Peeping Tom With Photgraphic/Electronic Equipment (Counts 1-4) and two counts of Lewd Molestation. On December 17, his plea was accepted by the court and he was sentenced on count one to five years in the Department of Corrections, a $500.00 Fine, $250.00 Victim’s Compensation, $250.00 Attorney Fee, Court Costs and Jail/Medical Fees. As for counts two, three and four, he received five years in the Department of Corrections, but those were all suspended. Fines and court costs were also associated with those sentences, according to court records. The two counts of Lewd Molestation were dismissed with costs to state.
In addition, Smith will not be required to register as a sex offender upon his release as it is not a requirement of the Peeping Tom Statute, according to the Creek County District Attorney’s Office.
Smith had used a hidden camera in his residence in Mannford on Hinton Street to record the activities of those in the bathroom, according to the original affidavit. He had shared that home with a man who had teenage children. before moving to Bixby. It was only after Smith had moved out that the father discovered the camera.
In addition, Smith had been contacting the daughters. The mother, along with the oldest daughter, filed a complaint with Mannford PD based on all that she and her ex-husband had discovered. During this interview, it was stated that Smith had called the daughters names such as “sweetheart” , “sunshine”, “baby” and others. These were texted to both daughters. The younger daughter told her mother that she quit spending time with Smith because of the odd texts, his strange behavior and that he made her feel uncomfortable, according to the affidavit.
However, it was Smith who imitiated contact with Mannford Police. He was inquiring as to a rumor that he was wanted for questioning by them and the FBI. He told the officer on duty that he believed he was wanted for questioning involving cameras that were discovered at his former residence in Mannford. This is when he stated that he was a paranormal investigator and the cameras were used in his investigations in hunting ghosts at his former residence on Hinton Street.
Smith was later contacted and asked to come in for an interview after a search the house where officers found the camera and corroborated all that had been told to them about what had been discovered in the residence.
He did admit to placing the bathroom camera and another in the living room and then appeared to drop the ghost hunting explanation altogether and tell police that he initially installed the cameras to record him with his “lovers”. It was during the review of one of these sessions from the bathroom that he realized he had captured the children and the father taking showers. He then added that watching the nude children was “icing on the cake”, according to the affidavit. He said that he had recorded others who had used the bathroom as well, but deleted all the videos from his computer.
He also told police that he know this makes him look like some kind of a pervert, but he just got caught up in the act of recording for his own sexual gratification, according to the affidavit.