Man Who Taped Models' Dressing Room Sentenced

Robert Liguori, a level-two sex offender, was sentenced to one-and-a-half to three years in prison Wednesday for secretly videotaping swimwear models in a dressing room during a fashion show in Southampton Village.

Liguori, 52, of Mastic Beach, previously pleaded guilty to eight felony counts of unlawful surveillance for the July 2012 incident.

According to authorities, he was working at the event as a freelance photographer when he entered the makeshift curtained changing area and placed a video camera on the shelf.

On Wednesday, Liguori was brought before Judge Barbara Kahn in handcuffs. He changed his look since his booking photos.  His mustache was gone, but he grew out the hair on his chin.

Assistant District Attorney John Manley told Kahn that Liguori has been a level two sex offender since he was convicted in 2000 and served 55 months for transmitting pornography. Manley said Liguori has an admitted history of exhibitionism and voyerism, including dressing room voyerism.  

Manley said the district attorney's office reached out to the victims, and they expressed thy were embarrassed and disgusted by the incident.

Manley said that Liguori maintained he was told to put the camera in the dressing room  and that he thought the camera was not working.

 He recommended a sentence of two to four years.  

Liguori's attorney, Christopher Gioe, later said outside the courtroom that Liguori was in fact instructed to store his equipment in the dressing room, but admits and acknowledges that he placed it on  a shelf there with the intent to record.

In a prepared statement Liguori read to the court, he said it was not a premeditated act and he should have put the camera it its bag when he placed it on the shelf instead of leaving it out.

"The reason I pled guilty to this charge is because I did it," he said.

He said he feels horrible about what he did and for violating trust placed in him. He said that as a result of his actions he lost everything he owns, friends, family and even his dog.

In addition to Liguori's sentence, Kahn handed down eight permanent orders of protection Prohibiting  him from approaching the women he victimized.