Robert Shrader was fired and arrested after recording devices were found in both staff and public restrooms at the hospital in The Woodlands, according to MCSO.
THE WOODLANDS, Texas — Six new charges have been filed against an ex-supervisor at Memorial Hermann Medical Center in The Woodlands, according to court documents.
Court records show Robert Pinon Shrader now faces seven charges of invasive video recording.
Shrader made his first court appearance on Friday and then posted bond.
He was arrested Wednesday morning at his home in Magnolia and charged with invasive visual recording, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office said.
The patient care director was recently fired after multiple hidden cameras were found in both staff and public restrooms in the hospital’s West Tower.
The first camera was discovered in a unisex bathroom across from the labor and delivery unit on August 21.
“While performing routine maintenance, the construction team discovered a recording device that had been installed in the staff, single-stall, unisex bathroom on the second floor, just outside the West Tower,” an internal notice to employees obtained by KHOU 11 said.
According to court documents obtained by KHOU 11, the wireless video camera was hidden in an HVAC system.
A security manager checked a micro SD card and discovered video of a man he recognized as Shrader installing the camera. The card also contained 176 images of people using the restroom, unaware they were being recorded, court docs say.
On August 25, a second hidden camera was discovered, this time in a public bathroom inside the Medical Surgery Unit on the third floor. It contained 131 images.
“We understand that this is a tremendous violation of privacy,” said Montgomery County Sheriff Doolittle. “For individuals who were already dealing with the stress of being in a hospital, to learn that their privacy was violated in such a way is truly unconscionable. This is a perversion that we will not tolerate in our community.”
During a search of Shrader’s office, another SD card and a camera still in the box were found.
MCSO said more information about when victims, including minors, might have been recorded would be released later. Investigators asked anyone who thinks they might be a victim to email mhtwtips@wctx.org with their name and contact information.
“We are sympathetic to our victims and are committed to bringing them justice. Our investigation is ongoing, and we will continue to work tirelessly on their behalf,” Doolittle said.
According to his since-deleted LinkedIn page, Shrader was a patient care director at the hospital. He described himself as an “energetic and self-directed leader with excellent nursing and leadership skills.”
Memorial Hermann released the following statement on Wednesday.
“We are shocked, deeply upset and offended by this individual’s illegal and reprehensible behavior, which not only has affected our workforce, patients and the communities we serve at our Woodlands Campus but also violated the trust placed in him and failed us all.
“Our highest priority is ensuring the safety, privacy and well-being of everyone who enters our facilities, and we have zero tolerance for such conduct. Upon learning of the unacceptable behavior of this individual, who has been identified as Robert Shrader, we immediately engaged law enforcement and terminated him. We also reviewed his employment records and confirmed there were no related complaints filed.
“We have performed security sweeps across the Woodlands Campus. We are also partnering with law enforcement on a broader response plan for all of our facilities.
“We will continue our full and ongoing cooperation with the investigation and, equally important, doing all we can to provide compassionate support to our employees and all those who may have been impacted.”
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