A Fall River man faced a judge Wednesday in Superior Court on some disturbing charges.
According to a police report that was largely redacted due to privacy or investigatory reasons, on Saturday, July 4th, at approximately 9:00 p.m., Officer Anyeric Castillo, assigned to Sector 205 of the Patrol Bureau, was dispatched to the police station for a walk-in report regarding a camera potentially recording in a bathroom.
On July 7th, Detective Nicholas Custadio, of the Fall River Police Department Major Crimes Division, was assigned to conduct a follow-up investigation pertaining to the apparent video camera recording device that was allegedly located in a home bathroom during a party.
Investigators responded to the 100 block of Lafayette Street and made contact with 55-year-old Marco Silva.
Silva was placed into custody without incident and transported to the Fall River Police Department.
His iPhone was seized pending a future search warrant.
Silva was escorted into an interview room, advised the room was recorded by both audio and video, and read his Miranda rights. He stated he understood his rights but decided not to answer questions. Silva was then escorted to the booking room for processing without incident.
Investigators tied victims to videos all of which appear to be nude / partially nude females unaware they are being recorded while in the bathroom.
Silva was charged with Photograph Unsuspecting Nude Person (7 counts), Child In Nude, Lascivious Pose/Exhibit (2 counts), Child Pornography, Possess (2 counts), and Photograph Sexual Or Intimate Parts Of Child (2 counts).
In July, he pled not guilty in Fall River District Court and was granted bail of $150,000 surety bond or $15,000 cash.
On September 17th, Silva was indicted in Fall River Superior Court on Photograph Unsuspecting Nude Person (11 counts), Child In Nude, Lascivious Pose/Exhibit (2 counts),Photograph Sexual Or Intimate Parts Of Child (2 counts), and Child Pornography, Possess.
On Wednesday, Silva was arraigned in Fall River Superior Court where he pled not guilty. A pretrial conference has been scheduled for December 15th.
Chief J.T. Hoar commended Detective Custadio for his work on this investigation:
“Detective Custadio did an outstanding job investigating a case involving a particularly disturbing invasion of personal privacy. His attention to detail, persistence, and methodical approach to collecting evidence and identifying victims reflect the level of professionalism we expect from our investigators. Cases like this require patience, thoroughness, and a commitment to following the evidence wherever it leads. I am proud of his work and the dedication he demonstrated in bringing this case forward.”
FRPD acknowledged the individual who initially discovered and reported the device. That decision to come forward was instrumental in bringing these allegations to the attention of law enforcement.
An indictment is a formal accusation, not a determination of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
