Disney Employee Took 500+ Videos Underneath Guests’ Skirts: Cops

When he dropped his menu, he pulled out. his phone. >> and he bent down and with his left hand, he reached in front of him to grab the. menu and with his right hand, he reached. under her skirt with his phone camera. up. >> Disney is the target of a lawsuit after. an employee at Star Wars Galaxy Edge was. allegedly caught red-handed taking. photos underneath women and girls. dresses and skirts. As the former shop. worker's case makes its way through the. criminal court system, the family of one. of his underage alleged victims thinks.

Disney needs to pay up. Welcome to. Sidebar, presented by Law and Crime. I'm. Jesse Weber. [Music]. George Diaz Vega was 26 years old when. deputies arrested him at his job at. Disney World in Orlando, Florida in. 2023. And as shocking as that headline. is, it is almost as shocking as the. allegations because Vega had been. spotted allegedly using his cell phone. to take videos under guest skirts and. dresses and it apparently happened two.

days in a row. So, Orange County. deputies got involved and they started. an investigation and we were able to. obtain body camera video of deputies. interacting with Vega as well as audio. of interviews that law enforcement did. with them and others. And I'm going to. take you through a timeline of what. happened and how the investigation. played out and how that could impact a. civil lawsuit that was filed by an. alleged victim's family. So George Diaz. Vega worked at a Star Wars theme store. inside the Galaxy's Edge part of. Disney's Hollywood Studios Park. Doc. Andar's den of antiquities. It sells.

things like lightsabers and stuffed. animals that look like characters from. the franchise. But at least one of. Vega's fellow employees noticed that. Vega was using his position to target. women and teenagers and violate their. privacy. That's the allegation. Now, before we dive into this, I do want to. note much of the footage that has been. released to us by police is audio only. or it's been redacted. And this is done. to protect the privacy of the alleged. victims, the witnesses, other employees. who aren't involved in the. investigation. Just want to make that. clear. So, we go to March 30th, 2023,

and Orange County deputies, they respond. to Hollywood Studios to talk to a woman. who's at the park with her. granddaughters, and they think that. something has gone horribly wrong at. what is supposed to be the happiest. place on earth. And the woman named. Laurelyn is visiting Florida from. Michigan. The alleged victim, who's 14. years old, is referred to as A. So, according to a police report, Laurelyn. verbally stated her granddaughters to. include A and her were walking through. the marketplace of Star Wars Galaxy Edge.

when they stopped to look at Porg. stuffed toys. A was approached by a. large Hispanic male with dark hair. wearing a Star Wars uniform and a green. scarf. The male was holding a toy under. his armpit. The male suddenly dropped. the toy under his armpit and he bent. over to pick the toy up while at the. same time he used his cell phone to take. a picture under A's dress. A told. Laurelyn what had taken place and. Laurelyn notified Disney security. I.

know this is quite the story, but it's. definitely one we wanted to bring to you. here on Sidebar. And one of the reasons. that we can do that to really dive into. a case like this is because of the. amazing support that we get from our. sponsors like Upside. Upside is great. It is a free app that gets you cash back. when you buy daily essentials. So, I. pump my gas, I can use upside. Go out to. lunch, I can use upside. Maybe I get. something in a convenience store, I can. use upside. And why not get cash back. when I do all these things, right? This. is real actual cash back. It's money. that appears in your Upside app that you.

can transfer right into your bank. account. So, once you have the free. Upside app, you claim an offer for. whatever you're buying on Upside. You. pay as usual using a debit or credit. card. You follow the steps on the app, you get paid. So, to find out how much. you could earn, click the link in the. description to download Upside or scan. the QR code on screen. But make sure to. use our promo code sidebar because. you'll get an extra 25 cents back on. every gallon on your first tank of gas. According to the report, the male. suspect was not identified at the time. But then the very next day, March 31st, deputies respond again, this time to. speak with a Disney cast member who.

thinks she spotted some inappropriate. behavior. >> Talk to me. What happened? I was in the doc on shop. >> Okay. >> And I was standing next to the register. >> Okay. >> And the cast member was in front of me. directing the line. >> You are a. >> I'm a leader one manager. >> Okay. >> Um he was standing directing the line, >> right? >> And he was holding like menus of the.

different lightsabers that we had. Yes. and he dropped one that and it fell. directly in front of him, >> right? >> And there was a guest on to the right of. him that was at the counter looking at. the female. >> um guest looking at the lightsabers. >> Yep. >> And when he dropped his menu, he pulled. out his phone. >> Mhm. and he bent down and with his left. hand he reached in front of him to get. the menu and with his right hand he. reached under her skirt with his phone.

camera up and he was like taking photos. of how. >> how you know he was taking photos. >> well in you see a light flash or. >> did not see a flash but. >> you hear it clicking or. >> no it was very. it is my assumption. >> you can go to make it easier. >> especially because there was no need for. him to reach that way. >> to pick up his menu and it would no need. for him to have his phone out either. >> Okay. >> And there's no phone in that position. >> You kind of you kind. >> like a um work phone or anything,

>> right? >> Um and I feel like I don't know if he. knows that I saw him, but as soon as he. did it, he like put his phone back away. and then he turned around and made eye. contact and then he turned back around. really fast. >> and then that's when I called my peers. and reported it. >> Yeah. Totally got it. Was she wearing a. dress? Yes, she was wearing a black. dress. >> Now, once they got this report, Disney. security teams were able to start. looking for the woman that they believe. was victimized. >> So, we pulled the transaction from when.

they bought the lightsaber. They used a. chip. >> So, the chip doesn't record their. information. >> Oh, no. >> Um, but we did we got our undercovers. looking for her. We I took a picture of. the of the camera. >> Okay. >> Of the of the victim. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> And so, we got our undercovers looking. for her. Okay. >> Um, so if we find her, you guys want to. talk to her? >> Oh, god. Yes. >> Yeah. >> What on earth would you say to her? I. mean, how do you have that conversation? >> What. >> how do you how do you approach somebody. who doesn't know that they potentially.

had something done to them? >> Yeah. >> What do you say? >> I mean, you kind of you kind of I mean, >> unfortunately, you kind of just kind of. you can't really. >> Hi. Well, I mean, >> you all are different than me. >> Well, yeah. You can't I mean, you can't. really beat around the bush. You just. got to Hey, listen. You. >> You weren't aware. >> You might You might talk with us. It's. probably going to be me later. >> So, she's charged later. >> Yeah. You weren't aware of something. that happened to you and we need to talk. to you about it. You know, >> simple as that. >> One deputy explains to another that law. enforcement had been called out the. night before, but that the suspect,

Vega, hadn't been IDed. >> The male was not present and arrived. upon arrival. So, that's when Disney. security. >> started pulling video. >> So, when I got here today, they knew who. the guy was. And then luckily the idiot. just did it again. >> So he did it today. >> He did it again in front of her. to a different person, but he did it. inside instead of outside. >> And then when they pull video for that. one, >> the guy said they can see the video of.

him dropping bending down and. >> from today. >> can't Yeah. >> Doing the same thing, >> but but can't see him actually stick the. phone underneath her. They see him drop. and then. >> the phone goes down but can't actually. physically see him. >> Well, they see him go down but they. don't see the phone. >> They can't see if the phone actually. video records pictures, >> right? So, >> her lying eyes that means perfect. So, >> well, that's what I say. Two two days. back to back.

>> Yeah. Yeah. >> Within just a few hours, Disney. personnel were able to locate the woman. in the black dress who had left the park. for a bit and re-entered a few hours. later. And at that point, an employee. approached her, whisked her away to an. interview room where a deputy explained. what was going on. >> Unknowingly, you were a victim of a. crime. Unknowingly, you didn't know. So, it it occurred. You you bought and then. you left. >> Okay. >> So, what I'm here to fill in the the. blanks. As you were at the register.

paying, a certain person came underneath. your skirt with a cell phone and took a. picture. That's in Florida. That's a. That's a crime. Video video border. So, I'm here to ask you, do you want to. prosecute? >> Now, the woman decided she did want to. prosecute, so she sat down for a quick. interview. >> Um, one of the security officers stopped. me um and told me that I might have been. a witness to something and that they. needed to talk to me.

>> What did they tell you happened? Um, well, at first I was just told that. I might have witnessed something and. that I'm not in trouble, but they'd like. to speak with me. Um, and then another. officer came in and he told me um that. somebody was caught taking like a photo. under my dress um in that shop um. to let me know that it had happened. I.

didn't I wasn't aware previously that it. had happened until he told me, but the. store and the time and everything. checked out. >> So, once they had a complaining witness, an eyewitness who's allegedly seen Vega. take a video up the woman's skirt. The. prior day's report and surveillance. footage, deputies were ready to sit down. with Vega himself. And they approached. him in an employee only area of the. park. >> How you doing? >> How's it going? Good. >> Where's your cell phone, big dog?

Go right here. >> All right. >> Yeah. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> All right. Just come with us. >> Appreciate you. >> Is that the only one? You don't have any. other phones on you, right? >> No. >> Yeah. I'll pat you. I'll pat him. You. get down. >> All right. Just walk right here. Just. go. Just go to the right. Right here. >> On stage when you go through there. I I. misunderstood. >> Okay. Hold on. Hold on. >> Just stop. Stop. Put your hands on the. wall. Thank you. Okay.

>> I'm sorry. What's your name? I'm. >> George. >> George. I'm Sergeant Morris. Um, we're. just going to have you come over to the. security off with office with us. >> Got it. >> We just have some questions for you. Okay. >> Yes. >> Okay. Hold on. Keep your hand. >> Hold on. Hold on. We're just We're just. >> Maybe she don't have anything else on. that. [Applause]. >> My wallet. >> Okay. >> Your ID is in there. >> Yeah. ID ID.

We're good. You're good. We just have a. couple things we want to talk to you. about. Okay, George. >> When they sat down with him, investigators learned that Vega, referred to as Diaz in police reports, had worked at Disney World for years. And after waving his Miranda rights, he. apparently openly admitted to taking. videos under people's clothes without. their knowledge. According to the police. paperwork, Diaz admitted he has been. taking videos up the dresses skirts of.

unknown females in the Disney World. theme parks for approximately 6 years. Diaz was currently employed at Disney's. Hollywood Studios, specifically at the. Star Wars retail store. Diaz estimated. he had over 500 videos on his phone. Diaz takes the videos because it's hard. to find them online and they bring him. sexual gratification. even went so far. as to show some of the videos to the. investigators. Quote, "During the. interview, Diaz willingly showed.

Detective Junko and I multiple examples. of the videos he spoke about in the. interview via his phone in the image. gallery. I asked Diaz if he minded. showing us the videos on his phone, and. he asked if he could show me. Diaz. showed me when he recorded a white. female wearing a black dress while she. stood in front of the register counter. I observed multiple other videos in. which females were recorded under their. dresses, skirts, and they appeared to. not know they were being recorded. The. detectives questioned Vega about videos. he's allegedly taken of underage girls,

such as the 14-year-old who' made the. claim the day before. And quote, "While. reviewing the videos on Diaz's phone, Detective Junko and I observed multiple. videos where the females were clearly. juveniles. Detective Junko asked Diaz if. he had a cuto off age for what female he. would record and he said he did not. know. Now Vega apparently told the. investigators that while he had hundreds. of videos on his phone, he never shared. them with anyone or posted them anywhere.

online, which by the way would have. increased his criminal liability. distribution, things like that. Now, during his interview, Vega apparently. even wrote an apology letter directly to. the people that he reportedly. victimized. And it states, "To anyone. that's reading this, I want to apologize. for taking candid shots. Really sorry. I. know what I did was wrong, and I do not. mean to cause any harm. I have autism. and the times I was doing it. I didn't. know the consequences. I really hope. everyone lives a better life than me,

and please forgive what I've done. I. want to apologize to every one of you. Well, after the interview, Vega was. arrested. He was taken to the Orange. County Jail and he was charged with one. count of video voyerism. >> All right. Um, you don't have anything. else on you, right? We we took. everything off you. Okay. The reason I. say this, I say this to everybody. When. you get down to the jail, if they find. something that turns, it's going to be. another it's going to be like a felony. So, you don't have anything else on it? >> My belt. Let's see. Well, no, no, but.

like drugs, bombs, guns, nothing like. hiding. No. Okay. All right, man. I'm. good. If you want to go ahead and just pop up. in there real quick. Watch your head though. >> Yeah, >> those seats are a little bit better. You. can kind of put your feet your your arms. into the crevice. Okay, hang on. Let me. turn the car on for you. Okay, we're not leaving yet. We're just.

waiting for uh. >> waiting for the detective. >> Well, that and I got the TPW there. >> So, >> I just wanted to I I told Sergeant I was. like, I'm just going to take him. outside. We're going to. >> Yeah, I heard you. >> Yeah. As part of the ongoing. investigation, deputies in Oakland. County, Michigan, spoke with the teenage. victim who'd been at Disney World on. vacation, and she confirmed Vega's. alleged mo, saying that he was standing.

near her when he intentionally dropped a. stuffed animal that he was holding under. his arm, and when he bent down to pick. it up, he stuck his phone camera side up. under a dress. She was also shown a. photo lineup and picked Vega out from. the grouping of suspects as the Disney. employee she'd encountered that day. Now, deputies also confiscated Vega's. cell phone, which, as we mentioned. earlier, had hundreds of these upskirt. images on it. And detectives found that. on March 30th, Vega had recorded a total. of 16 videos. And of those, half were of.

different females taken under their. skirts or dresses. That included the. teenage victim. A detective was able to. identify her from the clothing that she. said she was wearing and said the video. was 5 seconds long. So, that now brings. us to May of 2023 when the charging. affidavit was filed with the state. attorney's office. But you got to get. this, okay? While he was awaiting trial, Vega was apparently caught again, this. time at a public's grocery store in. Oyola County. So, on June 5th, deputies.

in that county got a call that someone. had been taking photos underneath. women's clothes inside the store. And we. got a hold of that police report, too, and found out what the woman involved. had to say. Quote, she advised he. suddenly passed behind her and knelt to. the side with his phone in his hand. She. advised she turned around and spoke to. her husband about the unusual. circumstances. She advised she felt. uncomfortable. Now, the woman and her. husband decided to follow Vega in the. store to see if he was doing this to. other people. And the police report.

says, quote, "She observed George walk. toward the checkout area where he. grabbed a chocolate bar. She advised. after doing so, he stood behind another. woman and she watched him take his phone. and moved it underneath the woman's. dress. She believed he was taking. photos, recordings of the woman's. undergarment. So, the couple cried out. to alert the woman to what was. happening. Vega reportedly tried to. hurry outside. This is according to the. victim's husband. Quote, he advised. George, tried to leave, but he told him. he was not allowed to do so. He. explained George became scared and asked.

him to let him leave. He explained. George stated, "I've been fired for this. before. Please don't call the police. I. promise I will delete the pictures. As. he was pulling out his phone, the man. proceeded to grab the phone from his. hand. He advised after doing so, George. left the store. He advised as George. left, he opened George's phone, and. observed a video which showed his wife, the dress she was wearing during the. incident, her underwear, and later his. face at the end of the video. So Vega. was gone by the time deputies got there, but a witness had grabbed his license. plate number. And deputies confirmed.

that surveillance video inside the store. matched what the victims and witnesses. had described. So law enforcement, they. track Vega down at his parents' home. where he'd been living, took him into. custody once again, and once again, he. was charged with video voyerism. So. right now, Vegas's criminal cases are. working their way through the system. The Orange County case, the one. involving Disney World, has had several. delays and continuations. But right now, Vega is set to have a competency status. hearing on September 24th after seeing.

and speaking with at least two doctors. During his interview with deputies at. Hollywood Studios, Vega revealed that he. has been tested for autism and is. considered borderline and doesn't take. any medications for it. So, we looked. into what Florida's criminal statute has. to say about video voyerism, also called. digital voyerism, and this is what it. reads. person commits the offense of. digital voyerism if that person for the. amusement, entertainment, sexual. arousal, gratification or profit of. oneself or another or on behalf of. oneself or another intentionally uses an.

imaging device to secretly view, broadcast or record under or through the. clothing being worn by another person. without that person's knowledge and. consent for the purpose of viewing the. body of or the undergarments worn by. that person. And it is a felony in the. third degree, which is our understanding. carries a maximum sentence of five years. in prison. So quite serious. But as we. first told you at the top of this. episode, it is not just the criminal. court that Vega is having to deal with. right now. There is a civil lawsuit that.

has been filed against him, too. That. complaint, which is sealed to protect. her privacy, was filed by the family of. that 14-year-old girl who Vega allegedly. recorded in the store on March 31st, 2023. They filed a lawsuit almost. exactly two years later naming not only. Vega but also Disney. According to media. outlet WESH in Orlando, the complaint. states that after she realized what was. going on, the teen victim got physically. sick, stating, quote, "The victim began. hysterically crying and screaming and.

the child ran into a nearby restroom and. began dry heaving, vomiting, and. suffered a panic attack." Now, the. lawsuit says when it comes to Disney, Disney didn't do enough to protect its. guests from Vegas predatory behavior, saying there had been previous incidents. involving him, but that he'd been. allowed to keep his job. Now, it's. unclear which specific incidents the. lawsuit may be referring to, but that's. the allegation. And WESH reports that. the lawsuit states Disney deliberately. engaged in outrageous misconduct by. creating and allowing an environment to.

exist where an employee had the means. and opportunity to secretly video record. the plaintiff's minor grandchild under. the child's dress. So, the family. accuses Disney and Vega of negligence, invasion of privacy, and intentional. infliction of emotional distress. But I. will tell you this for now, a jury trial. in civil court long way off. Why? Because according to the Orange County. Court website, it is currently scheduled. for July 5th, 2027. We have an update in this case. We'll.

keep a careful eye on this case and see. where it progresses. That's all we have. for you right now here on Sidebar, everybody. Thank you so much for joining. us. And as always, please subscribe on. YouTube, Apple Podcast, Spotify, wherever you should get your podcasts. I'm Jesse Weber. I'll speak to you next. time. [Music].