SOUTH BERWICK — Police Chief Dana Lajoie said he expects an additional eight to 12 misdemeanor charges of violation of privacy will be filed against a former Berwick Academy teacher for allegedly taking photographs and video up girls’ skirts.
Brian Sanborn, 54, of 94 Lavalley Road, Sanford, who was fired from his teaching and coaching job at the school last month, turned himself in to South Berwick Police Tuesday. He is charged with one Class D misdemeanor count of violation of privacy. He was released on $2,000 bail and is scheduled to make a first appearance at York District Court Aug. 6.
“Everyone knew he carried a camera and knew he took pictures,” on the private day school campus, said Lajoie in a telephone interview Tuesday night. But the subject matter of his photography came to light only late last month.
“One day, two young boys saw him placing a camera where it shouldn’t have been, up a girl’s skirt,” said Lajoie, who described the alleged behavior as “creepy.” The boys reported the incident to officials at Berwick Academy, who examined his school-issued laptop computer and found the images. Sanborn, who had worked at the school as a chemistry teacher and basketball coach for 17 years, was immediately fired.
Lajoie said police still have more video to analyze, but so far have not seen anything that would result in a felony charge such as sexual exploitation. As well, Lajoie said police haven’t uncovered any information that leads them to believe Sanborn shared or exported the images. From the date stamps on the images, police believe Sanborn had been taking pictures of female students for upwards of 18 months.
South Berwick Police obtained a search warrant for computers, cameras and an iPad at Sanborn’s residence May 1. The computers were analyzed by Saco Police, while Ogunquit Police analyzed Sanborn’s phone data.
Police say investigators are still working to try and identify victims portrayed in the videos.
Violation of privacy is defined in statute as “visual surveillance in a public place by means of mechanical or electronic equipment with the intent to observe or photograph, or record, amplify or broadcast an image of any portion of the body of another person present in that place when the portion of the body is in fact concealed from public view under clothing and a reasonable person would expect it to be safe from surveillance.”
Those convicted may be sentenced to up to a year in jail.
Sanborn, meanwhile, must adhere to several conditions of his release on bail, including that he have no contact with individuals under 18 years old, not possess electronic devices capable of taking pictures or videos, not enter the property of Berwick Academy and check in with South Berwick Police in person on a weekly basis.
Anyone with information related to the case is asked to call South Berwick Police at 384-2254.
Sanborn’s attorney, John Webb, could not be reached for comment by press time.
Berwick Academy Head of School Gregory Schneider, in a statement issued earlier this month, said the school, which was founded in 1791, is cooperating fully with law enforcement, “as the safety and security of our student body and anyone visiting the Berwick Academy campus remain our highest priority.”
— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or twells@journaltribune.com.
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