High school coach accused of secretly recording teen

LYNN HAVEN, Fla. (WMBB) — A Lynn Haven man was arrested for allegedly secretly recording a teen girl while she showered and changed in his home, the Lynn Haven Police Department said Tuesday.

Daniel Gilbert Franklin, 56, was arrested after the 14-year-old victim allegedly found the camera and reported it to her parents, police wrote. Franklin was a part-time volunteer track coach at North Bay Haven High School.

North Bay Haven Chief Education Officer Larry Bolinger said Franklin is no longer a volunteer coach with the school and he noted that the incident did not happen on school property or during the school day.

“We were alerted early Monday morning of the situation concerning the volunteer coach,” Bolinger said. “We immediately reported it to the department of children and family services and to law enforcement.”

All volunteers at Bay County charter schools are required to go through the same background check that volunteers and employees submit to before working at a school. If no criminal charges are found the volunteer is allowed to come on campus and interact with students.

Police said Franklin admitted to having the camera and to making several recordings of the same victim.

“Franklin gave Investigators consent to search his home and multiple digital video cameras, computers, electronic storage devices, and cell phones were seized as evidence,” LHPD wrote. “The investigation is continuing, and a forensic analysis of those electronic devices will be conducted. Based on the analysis of that evidence, additional charges are possible.”

He is charged with video voyeurism, a second-degree felony.

Anyone who believes that they may have been victimized by Franklin and/or with information regarding this crime is asked to contact the Lynn Haven Police Department at (850) 265-4111 or you may remain anonymous by calling the Crime Stoppers Tips Line at (850) 785-TIPS.