ELMHURST, Ill., May 3 (UPI) -- Illinois lawmakers call for updating privacy laws to crackdown on wireless "Peeping Toms" who take pictures with hidden cameras and video cell phones.
State Attorney General Lisa Madigan said current laws on the books are not keeping pace with the new technology.
A 40-year-old law requires proof that unauthorized pictures were actually taken, but high-tech Internet connections allow people to view streamed live video without recording, and digital images are easily deleted from computers.
A registered sex offender was charged with possession of child pornography and unlawful videotaping last year after he gave neighbors a clock radio with a concealed wireless camera inside.
In another case, a pediatric dentist used a wireless camera to watch his staff in a bathroom. He did not record the images and could not be charged with unauthorized videotaping. The Illinois House approved a tougher law in March.
"Our state's current unauthorized recording laws are 20th century statues that are no match for 21st century technology," Madigan said.
