A former Greater Trail Minor Hockey Association(GTMHA) player has been charged with voyeurism in connection with the discovery of a hidden camera at a West Kootenay arena last fall.
Almost one year after a group of ten to thirteen-year-old female hockey players found a clandestine cell phone inside a women’s changing room before they hit the ice at Fruitvale’s Beaver Valley Arena, a Trail man has been charged.
Garrit Charlie Ciardullo, 22, is accused of one count of secretly observing or recording for a sexual purpose and one count of making or publishing child pornography.
Both alleged offences occurred on Nov. 16, 2022.
At the time, Ciardullo, a former Greater Trail Midget Tier 2 Smokies player, was employed at the Fruitvale arena.
“When it initially happened there was some concern for sure, it’s unsettling for parents and everyone in the community when something like this happens,” recalled Fruitvale mayor Steve Morissette Monday.
The father of one of the alleged victims, who cannot be identified because his daughter is a minor, told Global News on Nov. 19, 2022, that the girls noticed a cell phone concealed in a crack in the changing room’s ceiling.
“They noticed that the phone was actually on record and that’s when their mindset changed from an innocent situation to more of somebody was trying to record us while we were in the dressing room,” said the father.
“They were able to scroll back through one of the previous videos and it definitely showed the person who owned the phone setting it up.”
The phone was turned over to Trail RCMP, who arrested the suspect and recommended a voyeurism charge to Crown counsel.
The suspect, 21 at the time of his arrest, was initially given a date of Feb. 23, 2023, for a first court appearance.
When no charges had been laid by that date, the BC Prosecution Service told Global News on March 2 that no decision had been made and the matter was still under review for charge assessment.
Charges were eventually sworn against Ciardullo on Sept. 11.
Morissette told Global News the disturbing incident was handled swiftly and professionally by the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary(RDKB), which operates the Beaver Valley Arena.
“I think it brought an increased vigilance by parents and others involved in the arena,” Morissette said in an interview Monday.
“I’m sure with the charges being brought to court this week that it’ll raise people’s concerns again.”
Ciardullo was suspended after his arrest and not permitted to enter any regional district facilities pending the outcome of the RCMP investigation. Global News reached out to the RDKB to ascertain Ciardullo’s current employment status but did not receive a response by the deadline.
Greater Trail Minor Hockey Association(GTMHA) president Paul Laratta declined an interview but said in a statement that “GTMHA strongly opposes any actions or activities that put children at risk or at harm.”
Court records indicate Ciardullo has a first court appearance on Oct. 11 in Rossland.