A chiropractor who last month pleaded not guilty to placing a secret camera in the bathroom of his Peabody office is now accused of installing a camera in a residential home where he secretly videotaped a minor “known to him” while she showered, officials said.
Scott Kline, 44, of Middleton, was arraigned Tuesday in Peabody District Court on two counts of possession of child pornography and videotaping a minor, said Middlesex District Attorney Marian T. Ryan’s office.
Kline pleaded not guilty and bail was set at $50,000, with orders that he have no contact with the minor or her family and that he surrender his passport, officials said.
Ryan’s office is prosecuting the Essex County case to avoid a potential conflict of interest, officials have said.
Kline’s attorney, Paul R. Moraski, said via email that his client denies the allegations, and that “we look forward to fighting in court.”
Ryan’s office said the alleged filming of the minor was discovered “as part of the ongoing investigation into digital evidence seized by law enforcement in connection with allegations that the defendant placed a recording device” at his Peabody office, Back on Track.
Kline was arraigned last month on a charge of photographing an unsuspecting nude person. Moraski said at the time that Kline “absolutely denies” those allegations.
On July 14, Peabody police were contacted by one of Kline’s patients who reported using the bathroom at the office earlier that day and seeing “a black plastic coat hook hanging on the wall next to the toilet tank that looked out of place,” Ryan’s office said at the time of his July arraignment.
“Upon further inspection, the patient observed a blue light on the side of the hanger and discovered that it appeared to be a hidden spy camera complete with a lens on the front, USB port, on/off switch, and an SD memory card,” prosecutors said. “The victim also documented what he observed on his personal cell phone and provided that to police.”
Police obtained a search warrant and discovered the camera was no longer in the bathroom but found “evidence suggesting it had previously been in place,” as well as “several pieces of digital evidence including hard drives and SD cards,” Ryan’s office said.
Moraski recently said that Kline “absolutely denies that he ever filmed, recorded, or photographed anyone while using the bathroom facilities at his office.”
“As he stated to police in his interview, the hook that was in the bathroom was just functioning as a hook and not as a camera. He was cooperative with police and gave two different interviews, explaining his side of the story.”
Moraski said Kline has been a chiropractor for almost 20 years and has treated more than 10,000 patients without any complaints.
In the new counts involving the minor, Ryan’s office didn’t say where the girl was allegedly filmed or how she knows Kline.
Ryan’s office said investigators have set up a tip line for patients and community members who believe they may be a victim or who have any information about the case. Tipsters can call 781-897-6725.
Material from prior Globe stories was used in this report. This breaking news story will be updated when more information is released.
Travis Andersen can be reached at travis.andersen@globe.com.