Tanning salon patron facing child porn, voyeurism charges

Nearly two dozen voyeurism and child pornography charges have been laid after a patron at an Edmonton-area tanning salon allegedly filmed other customers in a change room.

Late last month, RCMP arrested a 37-year-old man following an 18-month investigation that began when a female patron claimed she saw a cellphone over the wall of a change room at an unidentified St. Albert tanning parlour.

The incident occurred in May 2022 and prompted a response from the RCMP, who arrested the suspect, seized his cellphone and released him pending further investigation.

Police claim an analysis of the cellphone turned up 23 videos depicting 22 victims “being discreetly recorded while changing,” most of whom have now been identified with the help of the salon. Officers also found a “very large” amount of child pornography.

On Jan. 30, police arrested Matthew David Belford and carried out a search warrant at his St. Albert home, seizing additional electronic devices which are currently being analyzed.

“This has been a complex investigation requiring our officers to comb through thousands of images, and videos, and linking them to specific times, victims, and dates,” RCMP Cpl. Terrence Willard said in a news release. “Although this investigation is still ongoing, we felt that we were in a position to move ahead with charges.”

Belford has been released from custody and is scheduled to appear in the St. Albert Alberta court March 4.

In all, he faces 22 voyeurism charges as well as a count of possessing child pornography.

RCMP Cpl. Troy Savinkoff said police are not identifying the specific tanning salon because investigators have been able to identify nearly all the potential victims by other means.