A parishioner at Sacred Heart Church in Troy has admitted to placing a covert camera in a bathroom in the church and a local business, according to the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office.
According to the sheriff's office, Jeffery Eisenbath, 28, of Troy, admitted to installing a camera in a bathroom at The Adrenaline Zone in St. Charles, where he worked. He also admitted to placing a camera in a bathroom at Sacred Heart Church, where he worked as a volunteer.
Eisenbath has been charged in St Charles with felony invasion of property and is in custody at the St. Charles County Jail. He also is charged in Lincoln County with felony invasion of privacy and possession of child pornography.
"This is a case of an individual crime that affects many unsuspecting people," said Sheriff John Cottle. "The Archdiocese of St. Louis has stringent background screenings of volunteers but it cannot always catch their secret habits. This is why law enforcement has cybercrime taskforces in place, to catch individuals like Mr. Eisenbath."
Eisenbath most recently chaperoned a group of teens on the archdiocesan Generation Life pilgrimage to the March for Life in Washington, D.C. In a letter to youth ministers and parents, Catholic Youth Apostolate executive director Brian Miller noted while there is no indication any misconduct occurred on the pilgrimage, the authorities should be contacted immediately with any reports of suspicious behavior.
"These allegations are most disturbing and this behavior is an egregious violation of the trust we place in those who serve our young people," Miller wrote. "Please pray for the victims of these crimes.
The archdiocese and Sacred Heart Parish are assisting law enforcement with the case. The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office and the St Charles County Cyber Crime Taskforce continue their investigation into Eisenbath and to identifying additional victims.
Anyone with a child who may have been associated with Jeffrey Eisenbath, within Lincoln County, is encouraged to call the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office hotline number at (636) 462-6520.