A law firm hired to represent potential victims says they have launched a civil investigation after a Buffalo Grove man and owner of an ice cream shop was arrested for allegedly secretly recording children using the restroom.
The Addison Police Department received an anonymous complaint of suspicious activity earlier this month at Flavor Frenzy, 48 West Lake Street in Addison.
The complainant reported that there appeared to be a fake wall electrical outlet in the shop’s restroom, according to the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office.
An undercover officer with the Addison Police Department went to Flavor Frenzy after the complaint was made.
The officer observed what appeared to be an outlet in the shop’s bathroom with a small black lens in one of the receptacles that was positioned to capture portions of the restroom, including a urinal, prosecutors said.
A search warrant was obtained and officers removed the phony outlet. They discovered it contained a camera that appeared to have recording capabilities.
Investigators determined Steven Weisberg, 58, of Buffalo Grove, who owns the ice cream shop, installed the camera a few years earlier, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors said he was able to access and save the video footage from the camera on his laptop and cell phone.
Following the search warrant at his home and ice cream shop, investigators found 11 videos in his phone’s deleted folder.
They depicted six different people, including at least three who were female employees at Flavor Frenzy, using the ice cream shop’s restroom, prosecutors said.
One of the videos showed a female trying on different Flavor Frenzy T-shirts. Her chest was completely exposed to the camera throughout the video.
Detectives were able to identify the female in the video as a 16-year-old female employee at Flavor Frenzy, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors said Weisberg had asked the girl to try on and model different T-shirts for the business. She had to use the shop’s bathroom to change into the T-shirts.
Detectives found two additional videos on Weisberg’s phone of yet to be identified female employees, one of whom is a minor, at various stages of undress exposing their buttocks and sex organs, prosecutors said.
The Addison Police Department arrested Weisberg on Friday afternoon.
Four additional minor female employees reported to the Addison Police Department since Weisberg’s arrest that Weisberg had asked them to model T-shirts.
They said he told them to remove their bras for the photos so that there would be no bra outline in the photos, prosecutors said.
Weisberg was charged with two counts of production of child pornography, a Class X felony, and two counts of unauthorized video recording, a Class 3 felony.
“The allegations against Mr. Weisberg are not only a crime, they are appalling,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said.
“The alleged secret video recording of these young girls should send a chill down the spine of each and every one of us. I commend the Addison Police Department for their extremely quick response to the initial complaint and their thorough follow-up investigation,” Berlin said.
“I also thank Assistant State’s Attorneys Jaclyn McAndrew and Grace Barsanti for their efforts on this very disturbing case and for their ongoing efforts in protecting our children from child pornographers, as alleged in this case,” Berlin added.
Romanucci & Blandin, a Chicago-based law firm, said Tuesday evening that they were opening a civil investigation into the allegations, saying there is “nothing more distressing, disgusting or vile than a sexual predator who creates an illusion of safety only to prey on unsuspecting people, particularly children.”
The law firm says they now represent multiple individuals with concerns that their privacy or that of their loved ones has been violated at the ice cream shop.
“The audacity of this alleged video recording scheme is appalling, and we commend Addison Police for their investigation,” attorney Antonio M. Romanucci said.
“The premise that this ice cream shop attracted employees and customers from the community only to secretly violate their privacy is deeply troubling. We believe innocent children have been exploited inappropriately and negligently at this business. Our clients are distressed that they may have been violated by a predator without their knowledge or consent, and we will use every means possible to understand what went down at that shop and examine all paths to accountability,” Romanucci said.
DuPage County Judge Susan Alvarado granted a petition to detain filed by prosecutors to hold Weisberg in custody pending trial.
Addison Chief of Police Roy Selvik said Weisberg allegedly falsely created an environment where children should have felt safe and secure.
“Instead, he betrayed not only their trust, but the trust of our entire community in one of the most heinous and disturbing ways. Our agency will continue working to find additional victims in the case and provide all assistance available including social services. We are grateful for the swift actions of our detectives, as well as the support of State’s Attorney Bob Berlin and Assistant State’s Attorney Grace Barsanti,” Selvik said.
The police investigation into the matter is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact the Addison Police Department at 630-543-3080.
Weisberg is scheduled to appear in court again on September 15.