Metro Transit Police are investigating videos depicting unsuspecting female passengers that were recently uploaded to a porn video sharing website. The videos, which show Metro riders wearing skirts or shorts who appear to be unaware that they are being recorded secretly, recently appeared on the website xHamster.com with descriptions including words like “teens” and “slut.”
Many of the videos also appear to show the subjects faces. The clips were first reported by the blog PoPville, which received a note from a reader who says stumbled upon one in the course of a different web search.
“I ran across one of these videos when it popped up in a totally unrelated search; and, I probably wouldn’t have even noticed it were it not for the distinctive colors of Metro seat,” the reader wrote. “I watched enough to confirm that it definitely was Metro, not some other similar appearing system – the map is a dead giveaway; and, it showed the Silver Line, meaning that the video is recent – and clicked through to the user who posted it.”
Metro says its detectives are investigating the videos, which were posted by a user calling himself “DonkCam1.”
“As always, we encourage riders to report any harassment or unusual behavior to Transit Police, even if the incident may not rise to the level of a crime,” Metro spokeswoman Caroline Laurin writes in an e-mail to Washingtonian. Metro takes complaints about harassment through its website and over the phone at 202-962-2121.
Even more frustrating than the videos’ existence is the fact that they might not, Laurin says, rise to the level of a crime. Voyeurism in public spaces is difficult to prosecute. A DC Superior Court judge in October threw out two charges against a Springfield man accused of taking illicit pictures at the Lincoln Memorial of female tourists’ bodies, saying that the women did not have a reasonable expectation of privacy in such a busy location.
On its Terms and Conditions page, xHamster says users are required to have the “written consent, release, and/or permission of each and every identifiable person in your submission to use the name or likeness of each individual for use in your submssions.” Metro is also advising people who wish to file a complaint against DonkCam1 by contacting the website directly.
Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.
Someone Is Filming Women on Metro and Uploading the Videos to a Porn Site
Metro is investigating, but it might be difficult to prosecute the creep.
Metro Transit Police are investigating videos depicting unsuspecting female passengers that were recently uploaded to a porn video sharing website. The videos, which show Metro riders wearing skirts or shorts who appear to be unaware that they are being recorded secretly, recently appeared on the website xHamster.com with descriptions including words like “teens” and “slut.”
Many of the videos also appear to show the subjects faces. The clips were first reported by the blog PoPville, which received a note from a reader who says stumbled upon one in the course of a different web search.
“I ran across one of these videos when it popped up in a totally unrelated search; and, I probably wouldn’t have even noticed it were it not for the distinctive colors of Metro seat,” the reader wrote. “I watched enough to confirm that it definitely was Metro, not some other similar appearing system – the map is a dead giveaway; and, it showed the Silver Line, meaning that the video is recent – and clicked through to the user who posted it.”
Metro says its detectives are investigating the videos, which were posted by a user calling himself “DonkCam1.”
“As always, we encourage riders to report any harassment or unusual behavior to Transit Police, even if the incident may not rise to the level of a crime,” Metro spokeswoman Caroline Laurin writes in an e-mail to Washingtonian. Metro takes complaints about harassment through its website and over the phone at 202-962-2121.
Even more frustrating than the videos’ existence is the fact that they might not, Laurin says, rise to the level of a crime. Voyeurism in public spaces is difficult to prosecute. A DC Superior Court judge in October threw out two charges against a Springfield man accused of taking illicit pictures at the Lincoln Memorial of female tourists’ bodies, saying that the women did not have a reasonable expectation of privacy in such a busy location.
On its Terms and Conditions page, xHamster says users are required to have the “written consent, release, and/or permission of each and every identifiable person in your submission to use the name or likeness of each individual for use in your submssions.” Metro is also advising people who wish to file a complaint against DonkCam1 by contacting the website directly.
Find Benjamin Freed on Twitter at @brfreed.
Don’t Miss Another Big Story—Get Our Weekend Newsletter
Our most popular stories of the week, sent every Saturday.
Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.
Most Popular in News & Politics
Where to Experience the Biden Inaugural’s Covid Memorial Lighting and Bell-Ringing Vigils Around Washington
Your Guide to Joe Biden’s Inauguration Celebration
How to Watch Trump Leave Town
It’s Really Happening: Donald Trump to Leave DC on Wednesday Morning
The New York Energy Mogul Who’s Remaking an Eastern Shore Town
Washingtonian Magazine
January 2021: Joe Town!
View IssueSubscribe
Get Us on Social
Get Us on Social
Related
Bethesda Bike Assaulter Pleads Guilty
DC’s Murder Rate Reaches Its Highest Number in 15 Years
Arlington Police Make Arrest in Series of 1991 Rapes
Video From Fall Real Estate Market Update With Local Leaders
More from News & Politics
Conspiracy Theorists Target Comet Ping Pong on Trump’s Last Night in Office
Poll: Melania Trump Leaves White House as Least Popular First Lady Ever
How to Watch Trump Leave Town
PHOTOS: Anxious, Empty, and Occupied, DC Prepares for Joe Biden’s Inauguration
White House Reporters Will Have to Get Covid Tests, Wear Surgical Masks When Biden Takes Over
Gallaudet Student Accused of Taking Part in Capitol Riot
Sorry, Your Homeowners Insurance Might Not Cover Insurrection
As DC Nervously Awaits Inauguration, New Details Emerge About the January 6 Security Failures: Updates