x
Breaking News
More () »

Ex-fashion design teacher accused of spying on students changing pleads guilty to 324 counts of video voyeurism

Mark Ackett could face up to life in prison.
Credit: Court feed

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — A former Hillsborough County teacher accused of secretly recording students undressing in 2018 has pleaded guilty to 324 counts of video voyeurism. 

Mark Ackett, 52, virtually appeared in court Thursday to enter his plea before a judge and noted that he understood his actions. 

His plea is an "open plea" which leaves his sentence at the court's discretion based on the facts and what the state is seeking, among other things.

An attorney for the Hillsborough County State Attorney's Office said the maximum exposure for Ackett's plea is life in prison. 

A final decision will be made during sentencing at 1:30 p.m. on May 10. In the interim, Ackett is allowed to remain on pretrial release.

“This is an important win for our prosecutors and our community. He pled guilty because we built such a strong case against him, working with our partners in law enforcement. There’s no way out for him—no way for him to avoid being held accountable—so he surrendered,” Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren said.

In 2018, Ackett was a fashion design teacher at Bloomingdale Senior High when he allegedly placed cameras in a changing room to record students. According to court documents, he had been doing it for nearly two years.

A student is said to have found two cell phones with cameras concealed in boxes while using a private changing room in the fashion design classroom.

School officials were notified and Ackett was detained by deputies, along with cameras, phones and memory devices, as well as CDs, DVDs, two laptops and a tablet.

In total, the State Attorney's Office says 124 students and one employee were recorded by Ackett in that school changing room.

“This plea spares these young women the pain of reliving their victimization during a trial, and it helps them heal. We’ve worked to make sure these victims have access to services and counseling,” Warren said. “As the father of two young daughters, I’m not sure what I can say to these young women to bring back what Mark Ackett took away from them—but I can now say, to each of them, we have delivered justice.”

During Thursday's hearing, Ackett also pleaded guilty to 27 counts from an "unrelated video voyeurism case."

What other people are reading right now:

►Breaking news and weather alerts: Get the free 10 Tampa Bay app

Stay In the Know! Sign up now for the Brightside Blend Newsletter

 

Before You Leave, Check This Out