Children's Librarian Caught Masturbating to Surveillance Video

(Braddock, TX) A Braddock County Library employee was arrested for hiding a wireless surveillance camera in the children's bathroom and masturbating while watching the images on his laptop computer, police said.

Noah Retro, 28, of Brownview Apartments, concealed a wireless pinhole camera in a fake smoke detector on the bathroom ceiling (in compliance with BCPL surveillance policy), police said.

Retro's surveillance system was discovered inadvertently by a library neighbor with a similar system in his home, police said. The neighbor was adjusting his surveillance camera and unplugged it. When he plugged it in again, he intercepted an image of the children's restroom at the Braddock Library, which is behind his house, saidBraddock Sheriff's Det. Sgt. Carl Sloan.

Apparently the systems operated on the same frequency and anyone within a 150-foot radius could pick up the video feed, Sloan said. The neighbor called police at 10:02 p.m. Police arrived at the library about 20 minutes later and found Retro, who was working at the time, sitting in the parking lot in the beige 2004 Nissan Murano of BCPL Director Kelly Millis, with the camera and a laptop in his lap while "feverishly pounding away at his privates," Sloan said. Retro had removed the camera from the bathroom, Sloan said. Police have not determined when Retro installed the camera, Sloan said. Police believe he watched the images from his car.

Retro was charged with second degree unlawful surveillance, a Class E felony. When questioned why Library Administration was not also charged for their surveillance of the public, he said "we are looking into it." Retro, a convicted sex offender, was arraigned yesterday at District Court in Braddock, and was released and all charges dropped. Judge William J. Jennings, who was presiding, said the arrest reminded him of "gestopo tactics, so prevalent in the current Bush administation."

Retro was given a raise immediately, according to Kelly Millis, Braddock Library Director. In a written statement, Millis wrote: "Listen here fine sir. Retro is a great librarian who uses great judgement and tries to protect these children at all times, even when they are in the restroom."