CHESAPEAKE CITY — A 63-year-old man is charged with disturbing school operation and disorderly conduct after he allegedly took numerous inappropriate photos and videos of girls playing volleyball matches inside the Bohemia Manor High School gymnasium, according to Cecil County District Court records.
Investigators identified the suspect as Michael Cornell Griffin of Townsend, Del.
Maryland State Police Master Trooper Jason Proctor conducted an on-scene investigation during the incident, which occurred shortly before 8 p.m. on Thursday, and he was able to view the photographic content of the suspect’s cell phone after Griffin had given verbal consent to do so, police reported.
“I reviewed the photo album and observed that it contained several photographs and videos of the junior varsity teams and varsity teams from both schools: Bohemia Manor High School and Perryville High School . . . The photographs observed in the photo album were of the buttock areas of the juvenile aged female players,” Proctor summarized in his written statement of probable cause.
The investigator noted, “The uniform shorts that are worn by all the volleyball players are tight in nature; however, the photographs that were taken were zoomed in by Griffin revealing inappropriate detail, as certain curvature of the female players body parts could be clearly observed.”
Court records indicate that the investigation leading to the two criminal charges against Griffin started after spectators noticed the suspect acting suspiciously in the bleachers during the volleyball game, police said. The initial complainant was a 41-year-old woman, court records show. (It is not clear if Griffin had direct ties to the volleyball competition, such as a relative who was one of the players.)
The complainants had seen the suspect “deliberately zoom in on the players’ buttock areas” while he was taking digital photos with his cell phone, court records allege.
Griffin’s alleged actions caused nearby parents and other spectators to ask him why he was taking pictures, creating a scene that diverted some of the spectators’ attention away from the volleyball game, according to the charging document.
“This was actively causing disturbance within the stands,” court records allege.
After spectators complained and pointed to the suspect, the trooper escorted Griffin from the gymnasium into the lobby, police said. Bohemia Manor Middle School Assistant Principal Stacy Rahnama was in the lobby and was present during the on-scene investigation, police added.
Proctor informed Griffin that he had been accused of taking inappropriate photos of female volleyball players, court records show. Griffin denied taking pictures of the players and started opening and closing the photo album on his phone, according to court records.
“It appeared as if he was trying to hide the photographs. Griffin appeared to be extremely nervous while speaking with me. I observed his right hand and fingers shake multiple times as he was scrolling through his phone,” Proctor outlined in court records.
At that point, the trooper asked Griffin if he would be willing to show him the photos that he had taken and Griffin gave verbal consent, court records show. During that viewing of the photographic content of Griffin’s cell phone, Proctor and Rahnama saw numerous inappropriate photos and videos of the female volleyball players, court records allege.
“While reviewing the photo albums, the initial complainant entered the lobby and made inquiries as to whether or not her daughter’s photograph was on his phone and was making comments that she wanted the photographs deleted,” according to the charging document.
Proctor then escorted Griffin out of the building and into the breezeway, where — with the suspect’s consent — he and Rahnama deleted all of the questionable pictures and videos found in the phone’s photo library and then from the phone’s trash bin file, court records show.
“While this was taking place, a group of patrons had gathered in the lobby and were actively observing my interactions with Griffin. Another patron had to tell that group of people to remain inside and not to interfere, as they were making threats to assault Griffin due to his actions,” according to the charging document, which indicates that the group obeyed and returned to the gymnasium.
After the deletion of the photos and videos, Rahnama requested that Griffin leave the school property, police said. The trooper then escorted Griffin to his 2014 Chrysler 200 that was parked in the school lot and ordered him to leave the premises, which Griffin did, police added.
At the end of his written statement of probable cause, Proctor summarized, “Griffin’s direct actions of being visible while he was taking inappropriate and offensive photographs (by way of zooming in) caused direct disturbance within the stands of the sporting event which is also disruption of school activities.”
Griffin was not arrested but, instead, was charged through a criminal summons that was issued on Monday, court records show. Griffin is charged with disturbing school operation, a misdemeanor that carries a maximum six-month penalty and a $2,500 fine if convicted; and disorderly conduct, which is punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine if convicted, according to court records.
Griffin is scheduled to appear for a preliminary inquiry on Nov. 25, court records show.
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