A Punta Gorda man is accused of recording inside a restroom during Naples Pride’s PrideFest and uploading the content to YouTube.
Andrew Sheets, 61, faces charges of video voyeurism and video voyeurism dissemination. Naples Police arrested him May 9 for an incident they said happened during Naples Pride’s PrideFest on April 20.
According to court documents, Sheets wore a bodycam during the event.
Authorities said Sheets wore a bodycam to document PrideFest at Cambier Park, 755 8th Ave. S., in Naples, on April 18.
During the recording, authorities said, Sheets took the bodycam into the men’s restroom while still recording, capturing undercover Collier County sheriff’s detectives using the restroom.
Authorities said Sheets then uploaded the video to YouTube.
The video was titled “Documenting the Grooming Churchs at the Naples gay pride trany event, Cops had me followed everywhere.”
About eight minutes into the video, Sheets entered the men’s restroom at Cambier Park. After using a urinal, Sheets went to the sink to wash his hands.
On his way to the sink and in the mirror of the bathroom, reports say, two undercover sheriff’s detectives were seen using the restroom “where there is an expectation of privacy” at the 9:40 mark in the video. Sheets remained in the restroom for about a minute before he exited.
When authorities spoke with the detectives, they said they were unaware that Sheets was recording them.
One of the detectives told authorities that during PrideFest he saw Sheets attempting to enter the private event in possession of a handgun.
PrideFest private security denied Sheets’ entry because of the gun. Sheets returned to his car to secure his handgun and entered the event.
According to court documents, Sheets moved throughout the booths and engaged in conversations with attendees.
An undercover sergeant told authorities that he saw Sheets briefly enter the public restroom behind the event’s stage.
A short time later, Sheets returned to his vehicle.
On May 9, authorities learned that license plate readers recorded Sheets driving toward the city. Naples Police arrested him near the Naples Dog Park, 99 Riverside Circle.
Sheets was released May 10. His arraignment is June 1.
During a May 12 phone call with the Naples Daily News, Sheets said no one was in the restroom when he walked in.
“If the video was illegal, why didn’t they ask to take it down?” Sheets asked. He added that a stalker disseminated a portion of his video online.
Sheets said his arrest came in the form of retaliation after he issued a notice of intent to sue the city over security measures at the event.
“The intent [of the video] was not for sexual gratification,” Sheets said, later adding that “this has been devastating to me and my family.”
About 2,500 people attended PrideFest this year.
“Naples Pride is aware of the arrest stemming from footage recorded and publicly posted by an anti-LGBTQ+ individual who attended Naples Pridefest ’26 wearing Meta smart glasses capable of recording video,” Callhan Soldavini, an attorney and board member for Naples Pride, said in a May 12 statement, later adding that, “The irony is difficult to ignore. A man who publicly accused our community of ‘grooming’ now stands accused of unlawfully recording people in a place where privacy is expected.”Soldavini said Naples Pride remains committed to providing a safe, welcoming environment for all PrideFest attendees and is grateful to Naples Police and the Collier County Sheriff’s Office for protecting the privacy and safety of those at the event.
Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@usatodayco.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Threads @tomasfrobeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran, Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews and Bluesky @tomasfrodriguez.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Punta Gorda man arrested for video voyeurism during Naples PrideFest
Reporting by Tomas Rodriguez, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Naples Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
