An SMU law school student is accused of recording secret videos across four separate residences, one in Dallas.
The 28-year-old, Mitchell Wasek, currently faces 28 charges of invasive visual recording. He was arrested in Travis County on Tuesday. Wasek was released on a $280,000 bond.
Mitchell Wasek, 28, attends SMU Dedman School of Law and lives in Dallas. He is accused of secretly filming people in bathrooms and bedrooms in Texas and Colorado.
SMU Police say they are cooperating with the investigation of Wasek, but university officials wouldn’t clarify Wasek’s status at the university.
“In response to this incident, campus police are taking additional security measures at law school facilities,” SMU said in a statement. “Currently, there is no evidence of criminal conduct related to this case on our campus.”
Wasek is the son of Buc-ees co-founder Don Wasek. The secret recordings took place at Wasek’s parents’ residences and his Dallas apartment, according to the arrest-warrant affidavit. His parents own a 10,000 square-foot lake house near Austin, a Telluride home and two condos in Austin. According to the affidavit, Wasek’s parents were not present when the incidents occurred.
Travis County Law enforcement received a report in May from friends who police did not identify in the affidavit. They were staying at the Wasek family lake house near Austin on May 26 when one of the individuals said they discovered a hidden motion-detection camera in a charging port.
Police found 68 video files on the camera, though they say the file numbering indicates some videos were deleted.
The recordings contained at least 13 people using toilets, showering, changing clothes and having sex, according to the arrest affidavit.
Victoria Monteros, a graduate student in SMU’s Simmons School of Education, first saw the news about Wasek’s arrest when she was scrolling on X, formerly known as Twitter. Monteros found it shocking and ironic that Wasek is a law student at SMU.
“I guess there are psychopaths everywhere,” Monteros said. “I hope that I, nor any of my loved ones ever come across him or any of the places he’s thinking of bugging.”
Montero said that she would feel uneasy if Wasek went back to the university after his arrest.
“I would definitely stay away from him, and any of the bathrooms, and places he can put cameras,” she said. “I hope proper disciplinary actions are taken, and I hope he didn’t put any cameras in the school either.”
SMU is taking security precautions in response to the arrest.
According to the affidavit, Amazon purchase history obtained by police show spy cameras and hidden cameras were first purchased by him in June 2019. He also had spy cameras mailed to his parents’ homes.
A court date is set for Oct. 24. Wasek is not scheduled to appear.
If convicted, Wasek faces up to two years per charge.
Anyone with information on this case related to the campus should contact the SMU Police Department at 214-768-3333.
