More accusers now say ex-lifeguard boss filmed them undressed in Southern California state beach locker room

Sean Emery, The Orange County Register on Sep 3, 2026

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SANTA ANA, Calif. — A new round of lawsuits related to the alleged hidden-camera recordings of nude or semi-nude lifeguards and park aides has been filed in Orange County Superior Court — more than doubling the number of accusers pursuing civil litigation against a former high-level supervisor accused of placing the device and a state park department the staffers contend failed to protect them.

The latest lawsuits — filed over the last two weeks — add at least 21 accusers to the 15 alleged victims who had already filed civil complaints seeking compensation against a former California State Parks supervisor and the parks division.

Kevin Pearsall — a 59-year-old Long Beach resident who oversaw state parks across Orange County — is also facing criminal charges, including five felony counts of eavesdropping and more than two dozen misdemeanor counts of secretly filming or unlawful dissemination of private recordings.

Prosecutors allege that Pearsall used that camera, disguised as a USB stick, in a Bolsa Chica State Beach locker room to record the “genitals or buttocks” of 23 different men without their knowledge.

The recordings — with audio and video — were captured over 11 months through July 2025, according to prosecutors. At least some images were sent by Pearsall to undisclosed individuals, prosecutors say.

Pearsall was placed on administrative leave after the recordings came to light and then retired. He has pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges, and an attorney representing him has declined to comment on the allegations. If convicted as charged, Pearsall faces up to 18 years and eight months behind bars.

Gloria Allred — the nationally known victim-rights and discrimination attorney — was the first to announce a lawsuit. The latest round of lawsuits includes accusers represented by Irvine-based Manly, Stewart, Finaldi & Thom, a prominent victim’s rights firm known for representing sexual-assault victims in cases against well-known doctors, school districts, coaches and religious archdioceses, and Huntington Beach-based attorney Bijan Darvish, who recently handled high-profile retaliation cases against the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, and his co-counsel, Jason Erlich.

“The California Department of Parks and Recreation is liable for Pearsall’s disgusting sexual abuse and harassment of our client, because Pearsall was a supervisor with direct authority over our client,” Sean Riordan, an attorney with Manly, Stewart said in a statement. “He abused his position of power to subject our young client to sexual harassment and severe emotional trauma.”

Some accusers have described feeling betrayed by Pearsall, who was a sworn peace officer during his time as a state park supervisor. And some have expressed concern about not knowing where the images ended up, and if they have been circulated online.

“Many of our clients describe not only shock and anger, but a deep sense of betrayal,” Erlich said in a statement. “They are trying to process what it means to have intimate images captured and, in some instances, allegedly shared, without their knowledge.”

At least some of the accusers tied to the lawsuits are not covered by the criminal charges. The criminal charges do not include any allegation that a minor was filmed.