A former state parks superintendent has entered a plea of not guilty to serious charges concerning the alleged recording of individuals in a state beach locker room. Kevin Pearsall, 59, of Long Beach, stood before the court on Monday in response to accusations outlined by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
Pearsall faces a total of five felony counts of eavesdropping. Additionally, he has been charged with 23 misdemeanor counts of secretly filming another and three misdemeanor counts of unlawful dissemination of private recordings. The legal proceedings are set to continue with a pretrial hearing scheduled for December 1.
The alleged offenses are said to have taken place within the men’s locker room situated at the Bolsa Chica State Beach Lifeguard Headquarters. According to prosecutors, 23 lifeguards and other workers were victimized by these alleged actions, none of whom had given consent for any form of recording.
The District Attorney’s Office reports that the case originated in July 2025 with a significant discovery. A USB memory stick, functioning as a data storage device, was found to contain a hidden camera within the men’s employee locker room at the lifeguard headquarters.
Following this finding, state parks officials took action by reviewing the content present on the device. They subsequently contacted the California Highway Patrol (CHP), initiating an official investigation into the matter. The CHP's investigation, according to prosecutors, uncovered that Pearsall was allegedly responsible for placing hidden cameras within the locker room. These cameras were reportedly configured to capture both audio and video recordings. Prosecutors further allege that Pearsall utilized these hidden cameras to record numerous videos over an 11-month period, which commenced in August 2024.
From 2023 up until July of 2025, Pearsall held the position of a California State Parks superintendent. As outlined by the District Attorney’s Office, this was a sworn law enforcement position, granting him oversight over the management and operations of state parks across the Orange Coast District, an area encompassing Orange County. The allegations therefore involve a high-ranking public official in a position of trust.
Beyond the alleged filming, Pearsall is accused of disseminating the recorded material. Prosecutors contend that he sent images depicting nude or partially nude men from the locker room to two distinct individuals. Furthermore, he is alleged to have made sexually charged comments regarding the victims’ anatomy.
Pearsall reportedly retired in July 2025, a timeframe that coincided with the execution of the first search warrant related to this case. If convicted on all charges, prosecutors have stated that Pearsall could face a maximum sentence of 18 years and eight months in state prison. This case underscores the serious implications of breaches of privacy and public trust within state organizations.