National Guard soldier arrested over recording of female soldier

Cesar Rodriguez
Laredo Morning Times, Texas
(TNS)

Sep. 4—A Texas National Guard soldier recorded a female soldier nude in the shower at Camp Walker in Laredo, according to a search warrant affidavit.

Thomas Frederick Howe, 33, was served with an arrest warrant charging him with improper photography or visual recording, a state jail felony. He was released on bond the same day, according to Webb County Jail records.

The Texas Military Department did not respond to a request for comment.

The case unfolded on July 27, when a Texas National Guard major requested assistance from the Texas Rangers to investigate a visual recording criminal offense that occurred at Camp Walker in Laredo.

Initial reports indicate that a male soldier entered the female shower room to photograph or record a female soldier nude in the shower.

Texas Rangers spoke to the 26-year-old female soldier. She stated that she used the Texas National Guard female community shower trailer located at Camp Walker. She described the shower trailer as a portable building with individual shower stalls used by female soldiers.

She was showering for several minutes when she noticed a person enter the shower trailer. She saw through an opening between the shower door that the person stood by her shower stall for several seconds, states the affidavit.

She then observed a large black cellphone protruding from under the shower door and into her private shower stall. The female soldier believed the suspect used the cellphone to photograph or record while she showered nude. Frightened, she covered herself with a towel, authorities said.

“(The female soldier) peeked through an opening between the shower door and observed Howe exiting the shower trailer,” states the affidavit.

She then reported the incident to a sergeant. Texas Rangers would then confirm the identity of the suspect as Howe.

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