SLO gym owner who admitted to hiding camera pleads guilty. How much time does he face?
A San Luis Obispo gym owner who admitted to hiding a camera in the bathroom of his business faces a year in jail after pleading guilty to three charges Tuesday morning.
Cole Corrigan, 36, was initially charged with five crimes after police searched his home in relation to a hidden camera found in the restroom of CCC Fitness — Corrigan’s “24-hour gym for females” — in September.
Detectives found a “ghost gun,” ammunition and a misdemeanor amount of testosterone, police said at the time.
Corrigan was previously convicted of multiple crimes, including felony drug charges, between 2006 and 2008 and is not able to legally own a gun.
The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office charged Corrigan with three felony gun charges and two misdemeanors: using an instrument to view an area of privacy and possession of testosterone.
Corrigan pleaded not guilty to the crimes on Sept. 27.
Corrigan admitted to hiding the camera in the restroom to The Tribune in an exclusive interview Oct. 23. He said he hid the camera to catch a thief, adding that the footage was only accessible via a livestream with no way to record footage for later viewing.
But on Nov. 3, San Luis Obispo Police Department said detectives found recordings of two individuals on Corrigan’s camera.
The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office subsequently modified the charges against Corrigan, adding a second misdemeanor privacy charge. The agency alleged Corrigan violated the privacy of two Jane Doe victims for sexual gratification, according to the charge sheet.
On Tuesday, Corrigan pleaded guilty under a plea deal to charges of felon in possession of a firearm, a felony, and two misdemeanor counts of using an instrument to record in an area of privacy for sexual gratification.
As part of the deal, Corrigan agreed to serve one year in jail and two years of probation and will be subject to drug tests and searches of his electronics, in addition to typical probation requirements. Corrigan is also barred from contacting the two victims in the case for 10 years.
If Corrigan violates his probation, he could face up to three years in state prison.
San Luis Obispo Superior Court Judge Jesse Marino said Corrigan will be out of custody until his formal sentencing Dec. 19, which is when he will likely be taken to San Luis Obispo County Jail.
California law does not consider Corrigan’s crimes to be violent, so he would likely serve around six months in jail if he exhibits good behavior.
Corrigan declined to comment any further on the matter to The Tribune. His gym has since closed, according to a news release from the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office on Tuesday night.
