Milwaukee former school security guard accused; invasion of privacy

MILWAUKEE - A former security guard at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School now faces charges after prosecutors say he placed a hidden camera inside the girl's locker room. 

Demanding answers

What we know:

Parents of students at Cristo Rey told FOX6 News they are upset, disappointed and disturbed after learning of the charges against 41-year-old Fernando Bustos. Those parents gathered on campus on Tuesday morning, March 4 to demand answers from the school. 

Some parents were crying – and many said they were angry about how the school handled the situation.

Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, Milwaukee

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Police said they were called to Cristo Rey Jesuit High School on Wednesday, Feb. 19. But parents said they only found out what happened after FOX6 News started asking questions.

What they're saying:

In a statement, school officials said the following: 

"As a Catholic, Jesuit high school, our first priority is always the physical, emotional, and spiritual safety and security of our students. In early February, Cristo Rey Jesuit terminated one of its employees for performance reasons. On February 18th, while cataloging items left at the school by the terminated employee, Cristo Rey Jesuit discovered personal recording devices and stored video files of students and staff members which appear to have been made without their knowledge or consent.

"Because we are committed to safeguarding the privacy of our students and staff, upon discovering the video files, we immediately notified law enforcement and turned over the devices and files. We continue to fully cooperate with law enforcement on this matter.

"As law enforcement’s investigation has unfolded, we have learned that some of the video files contained footage depicting students near the handwashing area in our girls’ locker room. The police have confirmed to us that the footage they have reviewed at this time includes individuals in undergarments but does not contain nudity. It remains true that this conduct is a clear violation of our student’s privacy expectations. Working with law enforcement, we have completed a full search of our school building and determined that there are no other unauthorized recording devices on our campus.

Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, Milwaukee

"While law enforcement’s investigation was unfolding, and to protect the integrity of that process, we were limited in the information we could share. As soon as the DA brought charges on March 3rd, we contacted our community to share additional information regarding this matter.

"Because the safety of our community has always been of imminent importance to us, it has long been our practice to conduct background checks on all candidates prior to employment, share our expectations around our standards of conduct with all employees, and execute regular trainings to ensure our expectations and policies are understood in practice, consistent with best practices and guidelines. There was no indication in our hiring process that there was reason for concern regarding this former employee.

"We are deeply saddened by this incident. We are committed to supporting our community as we process this information together and understand the next steps."

The backstory:

Bustos is charged with invasion of privacy. He is accused of surveilling underage students. Prosecutors say he put a camera in the girls locker room – and had more than 400 videos recorded. 

FOX6 News has learned Bustos is a former Greenfield police officer who resigned in 2020.

What's next:

Milwaukee police say they are still looking for Bustos – a warrant has been issued for his arrest. 

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If you have information about Bustos' whereabouts, you are urged to contact Milwaukee police at 414-935-7401 or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 414-224-TIPS or P3 Tips.