Defendant fined for invasion of privacy, and more, for secret videos
“Hidden cameras in short-term rental properties are a profound threat to everyone’s right to privacy”
Plaintiff’s attorney, Deborah Barbier
Deborah Barbier, a prominent Columbia attorney, secured a $45 million jury verdict against Rhett Riviere, a landlord who secretly filmed her clients, Gabriel and Heather Crespo, in his Aiken, SC rental cottage. Though Riviere was an Airbnb host until 2019, this case focused on his actions involving hidden cameras placed in a property rented to the plaintiffs in 2001. The jury awarded $27 million in actual damages and $10 million in punitive damages, with an additional $8 million added by Judge Martha Rivers under the Unfair Trade Practices Act.
A pattern of behavior going back decades
In 2019, SLED was made aware of Riviere’s voyeurism after his ex-fiance turned in two microSD cards, containing videos of unsuspecting men, women and alleged children at multiple properties rented by Riviere. Multiple lawsuits have since mentioned nonconsensual recordings of a minor in two of his properties. After executing a search warrant, SLED seized almost 4 terabytes of files, including 20,000 videos, spanning a twenty year time frame. It was because of SLED’s investigation that the Crespos learned of the illegal recordings of them and decided to file a lawsuit. In addition to the Crespo’s, eight other civil suits accuse Riviere of voyeurism, and SLED has criminally charged him with three counts of voyeurism, so far. He was also the subject of an incident report in February 2024, when he was accused of unauthorized photography for taking a photo of a teenager’s butt in a Prosperity Dollar General Store. No charges were filed.
Punitive damages send a message
Barbier emphasized the importance of the punitive damages, stating they were meant “to punish, deter future misconduct, and send a message to the community.” She highlighted Riviere’s unchecked entitlement and noted that “no one had told him no or stopped him” throughout his life. Barbier praised her clients for their courage, saying, “Heather and Gabriel were incredibly brave to tell their story and hold him accountable.” She added that the case sends a clear message that such misconduct will not be tolerated.
Read more about the case in these articles:
Judge, jury add damages for SC landlord who secretly videoed tenants. Total is $45M
Secret taping leads to $45M in damages
South Carolina Jury Awards $45 Million in Airbnb Voyeurism Trial
