Columbus ex-chef faces more charges for secret bathroom recordings that included children

Tim Chitwood
·2 min read
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The ex-chef accused of illegally recording people in his downtown Columbus restaurant’s restrooms is facing more charges as his case moves closer to trial.

Dennis Cleveland “Landon” Thompson, 37, who was part-owner of The Animal Farm on 12th Street, has been indicted on 36 felony counts, 30 of unlawful surveillance for illegally recording people and six of child sexual exploitation for possessing videos of underage victims.

When he was arrested on Sept. 28, 2022, police charged Thompson with 23 felonies: 11 counts of unlawful eavesdropping or surveillance, six counts of child sexual exploitation, and six of illegally installing recording devices.

His indictment has no charges for illegally installing recording devices, but adds 13 counts of unlawful surveillance.

A grand jury indicted Thompson on May 30, listing a total of 20 victims, six of them minors ages 5 through 17. Most of the videos were recorded at the 105 12th St. restaurant, except for three involving a teen visitor videotaped at a house on Columbus’ Sue Mack Drive, where Thompson was living at the time, the indictment says.

The Animal Farm, 105 12th St., on Sept. 17, 2021, in Columbus, Ga. The lunch and dinner eatery, opening on Sept. 22, 2021, will focus on house-butchered meats and seasonal local produce, owners say.
The Animal Farm, 105 12th St., on Sept. 17, 2021, in Columbus, Ga. The lunch and dinner eatery, opening on Sept. 22, 2021, will focus on house-butchered meats and seasonal local produce, owners say.

The recordings date from July 23 to Sept. 12, 2022, but they’re concentrated in August, with 30 from Aug. 2 to Aug. 31, 2022.

Police began investigating Thompson on Sept. 1, after Animal Farm co-owner Hudson Terrell discovered the videos stored on a restaurant computer and went looking for recording devices, finding them hidden in vents.

Thompson currently remains free on bond. His arraignment, when a judge announces the charges against him in court and attorneys share evidence in the case, is set for June 16, said Assistant District Attorney George Lipscomb.

After the arraignment, the case may be resolved through a plea or go to trial, which likely would be in the fall, Lipscomb said.

The sentence range for child sexual exploitation is one to 20 years in prison, and the range for unlawful surveillance is one to five years.

Thompson’s defense attorney, William Kendrick, was not immediately available for comment Thursday.

Thompson has been banned from The Animal Farm since his arrest, and Terrell said Thursday that Thompson no longer is associated with the business.