Hampton Man Pleads Guilty to Recording Minors in Restroom

NORFOLK, Va. – In a disturbing case of digital voyeurism, Hampton man Corey Thomas Mason, 29, has pled guilty to possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) after being caught recording minors in a restroom at an amusement park.

According to court documents, Mason used his cell phone on September 4, 2021, to capture two videos inside a restroom stall. The offense came to light when the Norfolk Naval Shipyard Police Department sought help from the Naval Investigative Criminal Service (NCIS) for reviewing his cellphone following an incident of video voyeurism at NNSY in Portsmouth.

The review revealed several suspicious recordings, and further investigation on February 14, 2022, pinpointed the two videos involving minors. A federal search warrant obtained by NCIS on April 13, 2022, uncovered a total of 141 voyeuristic videos taken in bathroom stalls.

Mason is now set to face sentencing on October 18, where he could be imprisoned for up to 20 years. However, actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.

Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr. accepted Mason’s plea, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Heck is handling the prosecution. The case is a part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and the NCIS Norfolk Field Office are both involved in this case, which highlights the ongoing effort to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals exploiting children through digital means.

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