WINONA — A 30-year-old man accused of taking a video of a woman in a public restroom has been placed on probation for two years and ordered to complete 100 hours of community work service.
Patrick John Gaffron, of Winona, pleaded guilty in May to one count of interfering with privacy-using a surreptitious device, a gross misdemeanor. He was sentenced June 2 in Winona County District Court; Gaffron must also complete a psychological evaluation/treatment.
The case began the afternoon of Nov. 20, when Winona police responded to the Winona Health Clinic for a disturbance.
A woman told officers she'd been at the clinic for an appointment and used the restroom. She didn't see any feet on the floor of the other stalls when she entered, the complaint says, but while she was in a stall, she saw a cellphone appear under the divider wall.
The woman screamed and a man — later identified as Gaffron — ran out of the restroom. The woman also ran out, and found someone to stop him; Gaffron was stopped in the parking ramp and detained by clinic security.
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Gaffron told officers he'd gone into the wrong bathroom, heard the scream and ran. He initially denied having a cellphone, but later admitted he'd thrown his phone in a garbage can. He retrieved the phone and showed police a video that was taken over the wall of the stall. The video showed the victim in a state of undress, the report says.
