This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Dani Mathers, that garbage human who secretly took a picture of a naked 70-year-old woman and posted it on Snapchat with a nasty caption, pleaded not guilty Monday to a misdemeanor count of invasion of privacy. Or rather Mathers' attorney did, as the Playmate didn't bother to appear in court on the charge. Her next court date, a pretrial hearing which she is also not required to attend, is scheduled for late December.
Mathers set off a firestorm back in July, when she surreptitiously took the photo a woman changing at her local L.A. Fitness gym, and then Snapchatted it with the caption, "If I can't unsee this then you can't either." Beyond being utterly horrible, Mathers' actions were also illegal: according to the Video Voyeurism Act of 2004, a person who "has the intent to capture an image of a private area of an individual without their consent, and knowingly does so under circumstances in which the individual has a reasonable expectation of privacy, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both." The LAPD began formally investigating the case soon after the incident, and the City Attorney's Office officially filed charges against the model, who has since been banned from all L.A. Fitness locations, at the beginning of November.
A misdemeanor invasion of privacy sentence carries a maximum sentence of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine, according to The Wrap.
"[Mathers] very much regrets what happened,'' her attorney Tom Mesereau told reporters outside the courtroom, according to City News Service. "She apologized for her behavior and we're looking forward to resolving this case in a very fair manner,'' he continued.
