{"id":61886,"date":"2026-09-29T15:28:40","date_gmt":"2026-09-29T22:28:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=61886"},"modified":"2026-09-29T15:30:28","modified_gmt":"2026-09-29T22:30:28","slug":"manhattan-beach-therapist-gets-nearly-17-years-for-secretly-filming-girls-in-bathroom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=61886","title":{"rendered":"Manhattan Beach Therapist Gets Nearly 17 Years for Secretly Filming Girls in Bathroom"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
PHOTO CREDIT: FBI Los Angeles<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

LOS ANGELES<\/span> <\/strong>\u2014 A Manhattan Beach family therapist was sentenced to 16 years and eight months in federal prison for using a hidden camera to record girls in a women\u2019s restroom in the building where he worked, according to the Justice Department.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joseph Toews, 31, received the 200-month sentence from U.S. District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr., who also imposed a $50,000 fine, a $55,000 special assessment and 25 years of supervised release after prison.<\/span><\/p>\n

Toews pleaded guilty June 23, 2026, to one count of production of child pornography. He has been in federal custody since April 14, 2026.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hidden camera recorded therapy patients<\/span><\/h3>\n

According to court documents, Toews installed a recording device inside a stall in a publicly accessible women\u2019s restroom in January 2023. The restroom was in the same building as his therapy office.<\/span><\/p>\n

He recorded at least 11 videos of girls, some of whom were his patients and received services that included play therapy.<\/span><\/p>\n

\""GoonPurchased child sexual abuse material<\/span><\/h3>\n

Toews also admitted in his plea agreement that he knowingly received child sexual abuse material from January 2023 through December 2025, including videos he purchased from online stores on the darknet.<\/span><\/p>\n

Prosecutors said in a sentencing memorandum that his conduct was deliberate and that he had accumulated child sexual abuse material before producing his own.<\/span><\/p>\n

The FBI investigated the case.<\/span><\/p>\n

\ud83d\udd34 Quick fact checklist<\/span><\/h3>\n
    \n
  • \ud83d\udd34 Defendant:<\/strong> Joseph Toews, 31, of Manhattan Beach.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • \ud83d\udd34 Occupation:<\/strong> Family therapist.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • \ud83d\udd34 Prison sentence:<\/strong> 200 months \u2014 16 years and eight months.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • \ud83d\udd34 Conviction:<\/strong> Production of child pornography.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • \ud83d\udd34 Hidden camera:<\/strong> Installed in a women\u2019s restroom stall in January 2023.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • \ud83d\udd34 Recordings:<\/strong> At least 11 videos of girls, including some therapy patients.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • \ud83d\udd34 Financial penalties:<\/strong> $50,000 fine and $55,000 special assessment.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • \ud83d\udd34 Supervised release:<\/strong> 25 years after prison.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • \ud83d\udd34 Investigating agency:<\/strong> FBI.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    <\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    LOS ANGELES \u2014 A Manhattan Beach family therapist was sentenced to 16 years and eight months in federal prison for using a hidden camera to record girls in a women\u2019s restroom in…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":61887,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-61886","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nManhattan Beach Therapist Gets Nearly 17 Years for Secretly Filming Girls in Bathroom<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Joseph Toews, a Manhattan Beach family therapist, received 200 months in federal prison for secretly recording girls with a hidden bathroom camera.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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