Trial of Ocala man accused of secretly filming young girls at Walmart

A 32-year-old Ocala man is scheduled to go on trial in November on charges he used a hidden camera to film young girls at a local Walmart and is in possession of hundreds of files containing child pornography.

Joshua Gaines was charged with 10 counts of digital voyeurism and more than 400 counts of possession of child pornography. During an arraignment last week, Marion County Judge Matthew Peter Brigham scheduled jury selection for Monday, November 18.

Gaines entered a written plea of ​​not guilty on Friday, August 16. The numerous charges against him stem from an incident that occurred a week earlier.

On Friday, August 9, at approximately 7:45 p.m., officers with the Ocala Police Department responded to the Walmart at 2600 SW 19th Avenue Road. According to the OPD, a man was caught secretly filming young girls inside the store.

Police said video surveillance footage from the store showed the male suspect, identified as Joshua Gaines, pretending to shop while using a hidden camera in a small black bag to “take videos of children, particularly those wearing tight or revealing clothing.”

According to OPD, Gaines was primarily in the school supplies section of the store when he allegedly pointed the camera at the children's “private area” to capture video footage. There were many young girls in that area at the time.

In August 2023, Gaines was banned from Walmart after he was allegedly caught secretly filming young girls in the store. “(Gaines) knew he was not allowed to return to the location,” OPD said in a social media post.

On August 9, 2024, the store's asset protection investigator spotted Gaines on the premises and recognized him. The investigator told officers that Gaines “exhibited the same suspicious behavior.”

An OPD officer made contact with Gaines at the store and arrested him for trespassing. The incident was investigated and police seized a GoPro camera and two cell phones that were in Gaines' possession.

After obtaining several search warrants, investigators searched Gaines' electronic devices and allegedly discovered hundreds of images of child pornography. The children depicted in the images were as young as six years old, according to OPD.

Following his arrest, Gaines was taken to the Marion County Jail, where he is currently being held on bail awaiting his upcoming trial.

Before jury selection, a pretrial conference will be held at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 6, according to court records.