By Staff Reporter |
A Tempe school employee was arrested last weekend for alleged voyeurism involving security footage of minors for sexual gratification.
Antony Nikai Cruz, 28, is accused of downloading surveillance footage of girls ages 13 to 15 years old changing in a makeshift locker room amid renovations at Corona del Sol High School.
Cruz is facing one felony count of voyeurism for sexual gratification; his bond was set at $100,000.
Cruz was not a teacher, according to Tempe Union High School District (TUHSD) officials. While the district didn’t disclose what Cruz’s employment entailed in interviews with the media, TUHSD governing board records reflect that Cruz’s latest employment title was a surveillance officer for the district office, and that he has been with the district since at least the 2022-2023 school year.
Other board records reflect that Cruz provided more than security services for the district.
Records reflect that Cruz coached freshman wrestling at Marcos de Niza High School in 2024.
Records also reflect that Cruz worked as a safety and security officer at various times at Marcos de Niza High School, Mountain Pointe High School, Corona del Sol High School, and Desert Vista High School.
Governing board records further reflect the following for Cruz’s employment history with TUHSD:
- July 1, 2024: worked extra duty at Corona del Sol High School
- July 26, 2024: worked extra duty to provide security for an event at Corona del Sol High School
- September 9, 2024: worked extra duty to provide security for an event at Desert Vista High School
- November 4, 2024: worked extra duty to coach freshman wrestling at Marcos de Niza High School
- May 1, 2025: worked extra duty at Marcos de Niza High School
- May 21, 2025: worked extra duty at Desert Vista High School
- June 24, 2026: employment changed from 1.0 safety and security officer at Marcos de Niza High School to 1.0 surveillance officer at the district office, effective July 1, 2026
- July 1, 2026: worked extra duty as a safety and security officer at Mountain Pointe High School
The district placed Cruz on administrative leave the day prior to his arrest. He has since been terminated.
According to court records, Cruz was discovered to have downloaded the makeshift locker room footage during a security supervisor audit of security system activity late last week. Court records claim Cruz downloaded the footage in July.
That audit reportedly revealed that the camera download history indicated security footage had been exported to external drives, and the security system’s cloud storage history indicated access by an IP address believed to belong to Cruz’s household.
That TUHSD security supervisor contacted the Tempe Police Department about his findings. Police arrested Cruz at his home in south Phoenix on Saturday.
TUHSD issued a statement assuring the public that they believe the security footage was isolated to one camera on campus. TUHSD has also clarified that the existence of security cameras in the makeshift locker room was not standard, stating that the district doesn’t have cameras in classrooms, regular locker rooms, or other designated changing areas.
The investigation into Cruz is ongoing.
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