An Emmy award-winning journalist in Oklahoma has been arrested after authorities say hidden cameras were discovered inside private dressing areas at a local television station, as reported [1] by Fox News.
Darrell Lee Vannostran, 40, was taken into custody in Moore, Oklahoma, and booked on a charge related to the use of photo or video equipment in a clandestine manner in a private place. Vannostran, a photographer and editor, had been recognized with multiple Heartland TV Emmy Awards in the previous year.
According to court documents obtained by The Oklahoman, janitorial staff discovered two video cameras placed inside dressing room areas at KWTV News 9, located in downtown Oklahoma City. The dressing rooms were used by both staff and guests at the station.
#Emmy [2] Award-winning photojournalist was arrested after he allegedly secretly filmed people undressing at an #Oklahoma [3] TV station.
Darrell Lee Vannostran allegedly had the creepy images on his cellphone showing subjects in various stages of undress.https://t.co/eEtiFwpRPu [4]— Rattakat7 (@TigerSharkLover) April 22, 2026 [5]
Investigators said the cameras were concealed using Velcro and positioned underneath clothing racks. Authorities indicated that it was not immediately clear whether the devices captured footage of station employees, guests, or both.
“A review of the extracted video footage confirmed the cameras had been active and had recorded multiple subjects who used the dressing room areas in private settings,” the affidavit states, according to The Oklahoman.
Officials said individuals were captured in “various states of undress” during the recordings, though investigators have not publicly released additional details regarding the footage.
Following the discovery, police launched an investigation and began reviewing the video evidence. According to The Oklahoman, investigators determined that the cameras had been repositioned on at least two separate occasions and accessed multiple times. The activity was logged with timestamps, which authorities used to narrow down a suspect.
Investigators allege that Vannostran entered the television station outside of his scheduled work hours. According to the report, he was inside the building for periods lasting less than 45 minutes and is accused of accessing the hidden cameras during those visits.
Authorities used the recorded timestamps and access patterns to identify Vannostran as the suspect. He was arrested on Tuesday at his home in Moore and later booked into the Oklahoma County jail. As of Tuesday, he remained in custody on a $25,000 bond.
The station’s parent company, Griffin Media, confirmed it was aware of the arrest and issued a statement regarding the incident.
“Griffin Media is aware of the arrest of our former employee Darrell Vannostran,” Houston Hunt, the vice president of marketing at Griffin Media, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Our priority is the safety and privacy of our employees.”
“When the devices were discovered, we immediately contacted the police and have been cooperating fully with their investigation. We are very appreciative of the dedicated, hard work by the members of the Oklahoma City Police Department. Because this is a personnel matter, we can’t comment further.”
NEW: Emmy Award–winning journalist is accused of secretly filming people undressing at a television station in Oklahoma City
Darrell Lee Vannostran, 40, a photojournalist at KWTV News 9, was taken into custody on a criminal complaint alleging illegal recording in a private place… pic.twitter.com/uAwI8NOobT [6]
— Unlimited L’s (@unlimited_ls) April 23, 2026 [7]
Authorities have not released additional information about potential charges beyond the initial booking, and the investigation remains ongoing.