Family says hidden spy cams at Airbnb captured footage of them having sex, kids using bathroom: lawsuit

Independent

10 hours ago

A Georgia couple vacationing in Puerto Rico was stunned to find spy cameras hidden throughout their Airbnb, only to have their worst fears realized upon discovering surveillance video – including sound – that shows them having sex, as well as footage of their two kids in the bathroom, 'naked or [in] various stages of undress.'
'The sheer fear, emotional distress, rage, and profound sorrow – and the deep sense of violation experienced by the [pair], both personally and on behalf of their children – were unfathomable,' according to a bombshell lawsuit reviewed by The Independent.
The family members are identified in court filings only by their initials, so as to 'avoid the[ir] revictimization… due to the sensitive nature of the grievances asserted,' listing the mom and dad as 'G.P.M.' and 'E.R.R.,' respectively.
In an attempt to identify the culprit behind this astonishing invasion of privacy, G.P.M. searched the memory card in one of the cameras for the earliest available file, wondering if any recordings existed from when the devices were installed.
'To her indescribable horror, she discovered a video showing [one of the two hosts]... in the master bedroom installing and adjusting the… lens of the hidden camera, holding a second camera… and later confirming the live feed on his cellphone while verifying the camera's angle and viewpoint,' the family's complaint states.
José Morales Boscio, the family's attorney, told The Independent, 'My clients seek justice against the perpetrators who invaded their life as a family and violated their constitutional rights to intimacy. Airbnb must be held accountable, as it profits from the commercial enterprise it operates, while trying to avoid its responsibility to provide a safe and secure environment for its guests.'
An Airbnb spokesperson told The Independent that the host in question is no longer allowed to list his property on the site.
'Hidden cameras have always been banned on Airbnb,' the spokesperson said. 'We take any rare reports of violations of our policy seriously. We have banned the host's account as investigations continue and have assisted the authorities.'
Earlier this year, an Arkansas couple vacationing at an Airbnb in Scottsdale, Arizona, filed suit after they say they 'enjoyed an intimate moment' on their first evening there, only to subsequently discover a hidden camera above the bed, as The Independent first reported.
On February 15, 2025, G.P.M. and E.R.R. booked a week-long vacation for their family at an Airbnb in Hatillo, a rural hamlet of about 4,000 on Puerto Rico's north coast.
When the four got there on February 17, the two co-hosts directed the couple to the two-story home's two-bed, two-bath upstairs unit, according to the complaint, which was filed June 24 in San Juan federal court.
Four days into their stay, G.P.M. was in the hallway bathroom, getting ready to go to the beach, when she looked in the mirror and noticed a strange reflection coming from an electrical outlet behind her, the complaint goes on. Upon closer inspection of the socket, the complaint continues, G.P.M. saw a 'round crystal that resembled a camera lens.'
G.P.M. immediately summoned E.R.R., who told G.P.M. that her eyes must be playing tricks on her, the complaint states.
'G.P.M., however, insisted that her concerns were real, and it was not and proceeded to check the electrical outlets in the master bedroom, where she discovered a second outlet containing what also appeared to be a camera lens,' the complaint says. 'E.R.R. again dismissed her concerns, and the family then left for the beach.'
While there, G.P.M. searched the internet and found other travelers' stories about hidden cameras at Airbnbs, according to the complaint. Upon arriving back at the property, the complaint says G.P.M. inspected the outlet above the mirror in the master bathroom, and discovered a hidden camera 'about the size of a pencil point.' As E.R.R. went about removing the outlet itself, a 'black box wrapped in tape with a long wire attached emerged from the wall,' the complaint states.
The two contacted Airbnb through its website, and G.P.M. also called 911 to report the three hidden cameras to police. There were also two hidden cameras found in the occupied downstairs unit, according to the complaint.
Airbnb offered G.P.M., E.R.R., and their kids another place nearby, and they agreed to move, the complaint states. But since they still had access to the first apartment, G.P.M. and E.R.R. returned to check the cameras' memory cards, the complaint explains.
As they opened the files, G.P.M. and E.R.R. 'saw their children['s] images, naked or on [sic] various stages of undress,' and 'saw themselves during their stay, which included them having sexual relations,' the complaint alleges.
It says G.P.M. then saw the footage their host had inadvertently uploaded back in February 2024, of himself installing the spy cams.
While investigators waited for a judge to issue a search warrant, the complaint says the host and co-host, as well as an 'unknown woman with a laptop in hand,' entered the property via a rear entrance and began removing the hidden cameras.
Enraged, E.R.R., who was waiting in a neighbor's house for police to return, 'ran into the upstairs unit and physically confronted one of the hosts, dragging him out,' then engaged the co-host and the woman 'in a heated exchange,' the complaint states. The three eventually left the scene in separate vehicles, according to the complaint.
Once they handed over the memory cards to police, G.P.M. and E.R.R., who were scheduled to fly home the next day, sat down with local prosecutors to provide their version of events. Following the meeting, the complaint says the family went to a nearby restaurant for something to eat.
'Shortly after arriving, G.P.M. went to use the restroom but experienced her first panic attack of more to come,' the complaint states. 'Overcome by the feeling of being watched, she was unable to use the restroom, and the [family] left the restaurant soon after.'
Deeply traumatized by the experience, E.R.R. postponed the family's return flight by a week, hoping to salvage at least part of their trip, according to the complaint. But, it says, that night, G.P.M. 'began experiencing vivid nightmares in which she and her children were being watched.'
'The following day, G.P.M. noticed that their 9-year-old daughter was withdrawn, avoiding spending time with the family,' the complaint asserts. '... They left their accommodation only when absolutely necessary during the remainder of their stay. G.P.M. concentrated on providing emotional support to their daughter, who confided that she was feeling unwell and believed she was falling into a state of depression as a result of the ordeal.'
Now back in Georgia, the family continues to suffer from 'severe emotional distress,' according to the complaint, which says they have 'remained in therapy to this day.'
G.P.M. and E.R.R. are seeking a minimum of $5 million in damages over the ordeal, claiming an 'intentional, malicious, and negligent invasion of their privacy.'