WEST LAFAYETTE -
When the shower comes on and the towel comes off, you expect total privacy.
"She noticed someone holding a device over the shower that looked like it could have been a smart phone," says Purdue spokeswoman Jeanne Norberg.
Two female students told Eyewitness News they found it disturbing. "I was quite worried. Dangerous for me and my friends."
As Purdue police investigated that incident Sunday afternoon at Hawkins Hall - a coed dorm- something strange happened.
"The police were talking to a girl who had also been in the restroom and she said something like this actually happened to her and it happened the previous Wednesday," Norberg said.
Both women said the video voyeur was an Asian man, in one case with yellow dyed hair. In the second case, they described the suspect as having dark hair.
Around the country, voyeurism strikes in stores, locker rooms and public restrooms. Now it's being reported in semi-private shower areas.
Purdue officials say the second victim did the right thing - reporting it immediately to police.
"We don't know if they lived in the residence hall, Norberg said. "It is co-ed. We don't know if they live there or got in some other way."
Campus police sent a warning to students.
"I don't think you need special access to get access to the building," student Dee Dee Hu said. It's really terrible, you know the door is not closed to the bathroom so everybody can come in to the bathroom. Lost security."
She and others said they'd like to see key cards required to access shower areas.
"I guess the only way you could stop people would be to lock every door between here and there, but that would seem like a bit much," student Caitlin Barnett said
If you have information about the incidents, call Purdue police.
EARLIER STORY:
Two female students at Purdue reported male intruders in women's bathrooms in the past week.
A woman reported an Asian male with yellow-dyed hair and burgundy pants was leaving a women's bathroom in Hawkins Residence Hall around 10:30 a.m. last Wednesday.
Four days later, another male, who also appeared to be Asian, waved what appeared to be a smartphone over the top of a shower stall where a female student was bathing. That man had black hair and wore a dark blue sweatshirt with a white design on the back.
Police learned of the Wednesday case when they were investigating the second incident, which occurred around 1:30 p.m. Sunday.
Hawkins Residence Hall is a co-ed dorm for students that are at least 20 years old. University officials say each student has a key card for access to all entries and there is an employee at the front desk 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Police ask anyone with information about the reported incidents or other incidents to contact them.
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