Prince George's Co. police investigating hidden camera found inside school administrative office

PALMER PARK, Md. - Prince George's County police and school officials said an investigation is underway after a hidden video recording device was discovered inside an administrative office at a school.

Prince George's County Public Schools CEO Dr. Kevin Maxwell said police were notified after the camera was found Monday morning by the person who works in the office.

Police believe the camera could be accessed remotely and was there for several months. Investigators are now completing a forensic analysis of the device to determine what may have been recorded.

Prince George's County Police Chief Hank Stawinski emphasized that it's unlikely the camera was there to film children. Stawinski said he believes the device was being used to gather information.

"It is entirely unclear at this point as to what the goal of gathering that information was, but I want to reassure parents and the community that it wasn't in public place or a locker room or a bathroom where young people might have images captured of them," the police chief said. "Beyond that, I want to be very judicious in what I say because it is an active investigation by our Public Corruption Squad."

Police would not name the school where the camera was found because they do not want to identify the victim.

"We do not believe it was intended for criminal purposes, but at this point of the investigation, we are unclear as to who authorized the placement of that device," Stawinski said.

"In this case, I have asked the chief to investigate a matter in the school system and we thought together that it was best for us to make sure we came forward in a transparent way," said Dr. Maxwell.