Teenager allegedly spies on neighbors

A North Aurora, Ill., couple who say their teenage neighbor set up a wireless video camera in their bedroom are suing him and his parents.

The lawsuit was filed late last month in Kane County court on behalf of David and Katerina Speers.

They allege that their 16-year-old neighbor planted the camera while he was baby-sitting at their house. The teen and his parents live next door to the Speerses, according to the suit, and the teen had baby-sat for the family a number of times over the last two years.

David Speers discovered the camera in the master bedroom of the home in mid-November, the suit said. The lawsuit described the device as “a mini wireless color camera with microphone capable of transmitting images and sounds.”

Speers, the suit said, then confronted the teen’s father, who admitted that he had previously found a receiver at his family’s residence. The father allegedly told Speers that he had taken possession of the receiver, but his son later “regained control” of the device.

The suit alleges the teen acted “willingly and wantonly with a conscious disregard for the solitude, seclusion, and privacy” of the Speerses. The suit also claims the teen’s parents aided their son in buying the video equipment and then failed to adequately monitor his use of it.

According to Kane court records, the Speerses went to court Nov. 19, two days after their discovery of the camera, to obtain an order of protection against the teen.

They also contacted North Aurora police. Deputy Chief Scott Buziecki said Tuesday that police are investigating the allegations, but any decision on charges would not be made until the investigation is completed.

The attorney representing the Speers family did not return a telephone call seeking comment. A telephone call to the teen’s residence Wednesday was not immediately returned.