NH Man accused of peeping inside tanning booth

[Editor-in-Chief]

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Man accused of peeping inside tanning booth Woman says he used mirror to peer around

AConcord man has been charged with violation of privacy for allegedly spying on a woman in a Loudon Road tanning booth.

Joseph Johnson, 53, of Grove Street, was arrested July 16 after a 26-year-old Concord woman said she saw him using a mirror to look over a wall into her tanning booth at Turbo Tan, according to the police report.

The woman was mostly undressed when she noticed a flash of light from above, the report said. The wall separating her booth from the one beside it stopped short of the ceiling, leaving about a 2-inch gap. When the woman looked up toward the light, she saw a mirror being raised slowly over the wall. The mirror reflected a man's brown eyes and bushy eyebrows, the report said. The woman could see the man was staring at her.

The woman yelled, and the mirror quickly disappeared, the report said. The woman told the police that she then heard the man in the next booth quietly apologize.

The woman quickly dressed and reported the encounter to the salon's staff at the front desk. A staff member called the police.

Meanwhile, Johnson left his tanning booth shirtless and headed for the bathroom with a plastic trash bag, the report said.

Johnson then tried to leave the salon, the report said, until the woman followed him out and ordered him to stay.
When the police arrived, Johnson told them he had not been spying on the woman, according to the report.

Inside booth 7, where Johnson had been, the police found shoe prints on a stool. They also noticed the plastic bag from the booth's trash can missing, the report said.
Turbo Tan staff told the police that Johnson had just bought a $199 tanning package but had been in before. Staff said Johnson preferred booth 7 and had used it before. One employee told the police that she had previously noticed shoe prints on the booth's stool immediately after Johnson had tanned.

Dana Pierce, owner of Turbo Tan, said he did not want to discuss the incident yesterday. He did say that booth 7 was the only booth whose wall did not quite reach the ceiling. He said he has since sealed that gap.

Reached at home yesterday, Johnson said the allegation against him has devastated his family. He referred a reporter to his attorney, Earle Wingate III, for further comment. Wingate declined to discuss the misdemeanor charge in detail.

"I would hope that the presumption of innocence would apply," he said.

Johnson is due to be arraigned in Concord District Court on Aug. 23.

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[Editor-in-Chief]

Tanning salon is equally to blame

Anne Mattice, Bow
July 29. 2007 12:01AM

To the people who know Joe Johnson, last week's story showed a different side of him that seems uncharacteristic of the man we all know and love ("Man accused of peeping inside tanning booth," Monitor, July 24).

Never would we have expected him to do this.

For those who do not know Joe and are quick to make judgments, don't. Joe is a wonderful son, husband, father, grandfather, uncle and friend to many. Joe is a kindhearted and thoughtful person, and, like everyone else in the world, he is not perfect.

We know what he is accused of doing was wrong - there is no questioning that. The concern is that TurboTan did nothing to prevent this from happening.

Why didn't the owner do something about this wall prior to this situation? Many men or women could have been doing this all along but hadn't been caught. I say the owner is just as much to blame, if not more.

Had the wall gone all the way up to the ceiling, as in all the other rooms, the opportunity wouldn't have been there.

Fortunately, the wall is fixed. Unfortunately, Joe and his family are humiliated.

ANNE MATTICE
Bow

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[Ezliving_Jim]

If the owners of Turbo Tan had a couple cactus, this might never have happened.

[eyecandytanning]

Maybe Turbo Tan can sell cactus "for your protection." It would help the tanners feel safe again.lol

[Din]

I agree that Turbo Tans is equally to blame. If they didn't have tanning beds in their rooms, customers wouldn't have gone for a tan and this incident wouldn't have happened. I also blame the grandmother of the owner of Turbo Tans. Cuz IF his grandmother had balls, she'd be his grandfather and all this wouldn't have happened.

[Editor-in-Chief]

An innocent man

Melissa Davidson, Concord

July 31. 2007 7:20AM

I am a sorely disappointed reader of the Concord Monitor. As a friend of Joseph Johnson, I am horrified at the article covering the accusations made against him ("Man accused of peeping inside tanning booth," July 24).

Our country was built on such ideas as innocent until proven guilty. Our present society, however, jumps to conclusions without complete facts. The article concerning Joe and those accusations was completely one-sided, and against an innocent man.

As far as I knew, journalists aim to write with the least amount of bias. The article in question was completely biased.

Women are no longer damsels in distress. As a woman, I know.

Women are horrible creatures who will rip you to shreds without a moment's hesitation. Not that the woman whose claims are ruining a man's life (not to mention his family's) is a bad person. I am sure that she has family, friends, the belief that she has actually been wronged.

To this woman, I hope that you realize what you have done. Joe has never done any harm to a woman. He has always made precautions to prevent this sort of catastrophe from happening. I trust Joe completely; he has never done anything to make me feel otherwise, and still hasn't.

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[Editor-in-Chief]

Women are horrible creatures who will rip you to shreds without a moment's hesitation.

Wow! Blame the victim.

Okay, it may be a true statement. But, still....

[Editor-in-Chief]

When integrity shines

Daniel Walsh, Concord


August 01. 2007 7:20AM

In response to the July 29 Monitor letter "Tanning booth equally to blame:" Ms. Mattice falls into the trap of supporting poor moral judgment and integrity by saying that the salon is to blame for not building the wall to prevent deviant behavior.

If Mr. Johnson has the integrity that you support, why is he facing charges for his conduct?

When no one is looking is the time that your integrity shines. If you were to pick berries on the honor system, would you pay or drive away? If you drove away, is it the farm's fault for trusting you, as the salon did with Mr. Johnson?

Finally, we often forget about the other person, the victim. What about her victimization? What if you were in the tanning booth instead? Would you have the same perspective?

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[EliteMike]

How high are the walls?? I guuess I better fix my salon too

[Din]

I'm gonna sue walmart for having cubicles in their change rooms and not building to the roof. Retirement here i come.

I'm gonna sue every single business in the world that has washroom stalls and don't go to the ceiling. I can't take a dump in peace anymore, which has caused me impotence. That is worth billions $$$$.

[Uvangel]

^^LOL!! Your killing me today!! Did U smoke something funny on your way to work today???

[Ezliving_Jim]

How would it feel? Pam Walsh, Concord
For the Monitor

August 05. 2007 8:25AM

How can Anne Mattice (Sunday Monitor letter, July 29) defend the violation of another person and blame that violation on the management of the tanning salon where the alleged incident took place?

She does not deny the offense took place and virtually agrees that it did when she says, "I say the owner is just as much to blame, if not more." I say, how would it feel to have that done to you, Anne, or to your daughter?

If someone viewed you sunbathing in your back yard over your 10-foot fence with a mirror, for the purpose of self-gratification, would it be your fault because you didn't build the fence higher?

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