US: California Therapist Secretly Recorded 8 Girls in Public Restroom, Used Bitcoin To Buy Child S*xual Abuse Material
A federal criminal complaint in California charges therapist Joseph Toews with the production, receipt, and possession of child p*rnography. The FBI alleges Toews used Bitcoin to buy illicit material online and hid a camera in his practice's restroom to secretly record young girls, as well as filming his wife at home without consent.
A California therapist faces multiple federal charges following an FBI investigation that uncovered a hidden restroom camera at his clinical practice and documented the online purchase of child s*xual abuse material (CSAM). Joseph Toews was charged in a federal criminal complaint filed in the US District Court for the Central District of California, which details offenses including the production, receipt, and possession of child p*rnography. Federal prosecutors allege that Toews used cryptocurrency transactions to acquire illicit material while actively recording young clients under his care.
Darknet Transactions Traced via Financial Platforms
According to the federal affidavit, the FBI initiated an investigation after tracing a sequence of Bitcoin transactions executed between May and September 2024. Investigators allege that Toews utilised financial services linked to his Robinhood account to buy CSAM from darknet marketplaces. US Shocker: Washington Teacher Admits to Having S*x With High School Student After Husband Discovers Conversation With Victim; Arrested.
Cybersecurity agents tracked at least five distinct payments routed to illicit domains, including websites operating under the names "Lolip*rn Directory" and "CP Videos Bonanza". Federal agents subsequently accessed these portals to verify the nature of the content hosted on the servers.
Search Warrant Uncovers Hidden Clinical Recordings
The investigation escalated in December 2025 when federal agents executed a search warrant at Toews' residence in Playa Vista, California. Digital forensic analysts seized several electronic devices that allegedly contained an extensive archive of CSAM files, including videos depicting the severe abuse of toddlers and young children. One specific filename directly referenced a 3-year-old victim. Beyond downloaded content, investigators recovered evidence indicating that Toews produced illicit material himself.
The affidavit states that agents found hidden-camera footage capturing at least eight prepubescent girls inside a public restroom at his therapy office. The camera had reportedly been concealed above a toilet fixture. Furthermore, forensic technicians recovered a video file that allegedly captured Toews in the act of installing the hidden surveillance equipment. Federal prosecutors noted that his face was "clearly visible" throughout the setup sequence.
Investigative Backing and Household Surveillance
A deeper review of Toews' seized data revealed 12 hidden-camera recordings dating back to November 2022. These videos documented Toews conducting "play therapy" sessions with prepubescent female clients. Investigators believe these early recordings served as technical baseline tests for the concealed camera systems that were later deployed in the office restroom. US Shocker: Former Kindergarten Teacher Becomes S*xually Involved With Teenager in Indiana, Pleads Guilty to Child Seduction.
The scope of the alleged unauthorised surveillance extended into Toews' personal life as well. The criminal complaint notes that federal agents recovered numerous secretly recorded videos of Toews' wife, captured without her knowledge or consent, inside the bedrooms and restrooms of their private residence. The case remains under active prosecution by the Department of Justice in Los Angeles.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 23, 2026 04:52 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).