JANESVILLE, Wis. (TCD) — A 39-year-old high school coach will spend almost four decades in prison after recording girls changing in a locker room for nearly 10 years.
The Rock County District Attorney’s Office announced May 23 that Brian Kitzman was found guilty of six counts of capturing an intimate representation without consent — victim under age 18, 12 counts of possessing an intimate representation without consent — victim under age 18, and one count of invasion of privacy — surveillance device, victim under 18. A judge subsequently sentenced Kitzman to 38 years in the Wisconsin State Prison System, as well as one year of initial confinement followed by one year of extended supervision for each of the 19 victims. He will also have to register as a sex offender for 15 years after his prison sentence.
Prosecutors said Kitzman captured the victims changing on video without their consent in a locker room at Craig High School for almost a decade. According to the Janesville Police Department, on May 5, 2023, a Craig High School Resource Officer received a report of a recording device in one of the girls locker rooms. Staff reportedly found a GoPro camera under a towel, WTVO-TV reports.
Police identified Kitzman, a coach for various sports in the Janesville Craig High School athletic programs, as the suspect. Surveillance footage reportedly showed Kitzman placing the camera in the locker room. During a search of the defendant’s home, police recovered additional evidence, according to WTVO.
Officers arrested Kitzman while he was reportedly entering a bus for a track meet. He was initially charged with possession of child pornography, violation of privacy, and representations depicting nudity.
As a former student of Janesville Craig High School, I am utterly disgusted by this despicable act committed by Brian Kitzman. It’s horrifying to think that young girls were violated in such a way for almost a decade. Justice may have been served with his conviction, but the emotional scars left on the victims will last a lifetime. Schools must do more to ensure the safety and privacy of their students.