YOUNGSTOWN Deal reached in videotaping case

The Lanterman Road man could get probation or up to five years in prison.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- A 34-year-old city man who'd been accused of secretly videotaping a high school girl as she changed clothes has made a deal with prosecutors.
John E. Hoppa Jr. of Lanterman Road pleaded guilty this week in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court to one count of tampering with evidence. A charge of voyeurism was dismissed.
Deena Calabrese, assistant prosecutor, made no recommendation for a sentence. Under Ohio law, Hoppa could get one to five years in prison or be placed on probation.
Defense attorney Don L. Hanni Jr. said he'll ask for probation when Hoppa is eventually sentenced by Judge Robert Lisotto.
The judge ordered that a background check be done on Hoppa before sentencing.
Hoppa was a part-time technician for Channel 19, an in-house TV station at Austintown Fitch High School, in January. School officials said he was not a teacher and has since been fired.
What happened
Calabrese said Hoppa sent the victim into an office area used for equipment storage to change from her on-camera clothes to some casual clothes.
Unknown to the girl, Hoppa had set up a hidden camera to tape her as she changed, Calabrese said. Another student went into the room afterward and noticed that the camera was on.
The student stopped the camera, removed the tape and gave it to a program supervisor, who played the tape to see what was on it.
Calabrese said when school officials confronted Hoppa, he grabbed the tape and broke it, which resulted in the tampering charge.
The girl's mother later found out what happened and filed a complaint with township police, resulting in Hoppa's arrest.
"There is no question that he destroyed that tape," Hanni said. "As for anything else, well, who knows what goes on in other people's minds."
Calabrese said authorities were able to repair the tape and would have used it as evidence had the case gone to trial.
She said the voyeurism charge was dropped because, under Ohio law, one of the elements of that charge is that the victim must be naked.
"At no point was she nude on that tape," Calabrese said.
bjackson@vindy.com