Zirpoli hid a camera in a ceiling vent in the employee bathroom at Plato’s Closet in the Ledgewood section of Roxbury starting in late 2022, according to an affidavit of probable cause outlining a long list of charges against the 35-year-old Lincoln Park resident. — Photo by intan Indiastuti on Unsplash
A Roxbury clothing store owner charged with recording at least 11 employees as they used the bathroom at his business had 1,900 videos and images from the camera on various devices, authorities said.
Nicholas C. Zirpoli hid a camera in a ceiling vent in the employee bathroom at Plato’s Closet in the Ledgewood section of Roxbury starting in late 2022, according to an affidavit of probable cause outlining a long list of charges against the 35-year-old Lincoln Park resident.
When employees found the device in February 2023 and confronted Zirpoli, he pulled a camera from the vent and broke the memory card in front of a worker, authorities said.
Investigators got a search warrant and the next day showed up at Zirpoli’s home where they found 33 devices, authorities said. Zirpoli admitted smashing the memory card, which was found in pieces his kitchen trash can, authorities said.
Zirpoli also told police he had a folder on his computer with the saved videos and images, authorities said. One of the victims was 17 at the time was she was recorded, authorities said.
Investigators got additional search warrants in March and November to seize Zirpoli’s iPhone and other devices. About 1,900 videos have been found so far, authorities said.
His lawyer said Zirpoli will fight the charges.
“It’s early on in the process,” Zirpoli’s attorney John Paul Velez said by phone on Friday. “We’re evaluating all the evidence and at this time Mr Zirpoli is presumed innocent.”
Zirpoli has been charged by the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office with one count apiece of filming a child in a prohibited sexual act, possession of child pornography, endangering the welfare of a child and tampering with evidence, as well as 10 more counts of invasion of privacy.
In December, he was charged with nine counts of invasion or privacy as well as tampering with evidence, authorities said at the time.
Zirpoli was released from the Morris County jail last week with pre-trial monitoring conditions. A pre-indictment conference is scheduled for March 25, Velez said.
Zirpoli owns only the Roxbury store. Other stores by the same name in New Jersey have different owners. – nj.com/Tribune News Service
