‘Stockpiling CSAM’: Family therapist installed camera in bathroom to record young girls

LOS ANGELES (TCN) -- A 31-year-old man has been sentenced to over 16 years in federal prison followed by 25 years of supervised release for installing a camera in the women’s bathroom at his workplace to record young girls.

According to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, Joseph Toews installed a camera in the public women’s bathroom at his therapy office in 2023.

KTLA reports that according to court documents, Toews worked as an associate marriage and family therapist at Neuro Wellness Spa in Manhattan Beach, California. Federal investigators learned that during his time employed there, Toews only saw minor patients.

According to the U.S. attorney’s office, the hidden camera captured at least 11 video recordings of minor girls, some of whom received therapy services from him. 

On June 23, Toews, who has been in federal custody since April 14, pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography, according to the U.S. attorney’s office. As part of his plea deal, he also admitted that from January 2023 to December 2025, he knowingly received child sexual abuse materials and purchased videos containing such content on the dark web.

On Sept. 29, Toews was sentenced to 200 months — or 16 years and 2 months — in federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Of the sentencing, prosecutors said, “[Toews] had been stockpiling CSAM prior to his decision to create CSAM of his own.”

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