Vancouver school employee makes first court appearance on 137 counts of voyeurism

VANCOUVER Wash. (KPTV) - A school employee suspected of taking videos of students in a Vancouver middle school was arrested Thursday, according to the Clark Co. Sheriff’s Office.

SEE ALSO: Grants Pass man arrested for sexual abuse of teenager

Police have charged 38-year-old James D. Mattson with 137 counts of voyeurism, starting back in 2013 with videos taken in female staff bathrooms at Skyview High School. Vancouver Public Schools says Mattson started as a substitute custodian with the district in 2007 and was most recently a building operator and assistant flag football coach at Alki Middle School.

The initial report of voyeurism was made on Oct. 5 by school staff at Alki Middle School, but the district and police have searched all the district buildings due to Mattson’s role.

SEE ALSO: Man accused of $300,000 retail theft arrested in Beaverton

Mattson had already left school grounds by the time the incident was reported and is currently on unpaid administrative leave. Police said he was not cooperating with the investigation that has included a search of his home.

He was arrested Thursday some time before 2 p.m. and booked into the Clark County Jail.

The sheriff’s office said videos from Skyview are just the initial pieces of evidence and there’s still a lot of evidence to comb through, which could lead to more charges from different locations.

The school district says all locker rooms and bathrooms in the district were searched and no devices were found. The district sent a statement about the arrest, which reads in part: “Our students and staff and their safety are at the heart of everything we do. We will continue to support our young people and staff by making counselors available, and fully cooperating with the law enforcement investigation.”

The investigation is ongoing.

Copyright 2022 KPTV-KPDX. All rights reserved.