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Lawsuit: Phoenix Life Time Fitness employee filmed 4-year-old girl in shower

Posted at 10:44 AM, Aug 15, 2016
and last updated 2016-08-15 12:49:06-04

A civil lawsuit is raising concern over safety at childcare centers at several Life Time Fitness gyms in Arizona.

In 2015, investigators say Edward Orth videotaped a 4-year-old girl naked in a shower stall at a gym located in North Phoenix on E Chauncey Lane.

Attorneys, representing the victim and her parents, claim Life Time allowed Orth to work in the daycare center -- without the proper fingerprint clearance.

In the complaint, attorneys say "numerous times in the video, Orth exited the shower stall, looked in both directions to make sure that no one was coming or could see what he was doing."

The video was uploaded to a child pornography website.

Two years before Orth's arrest, the Arizona Department of Health Services (DHS) cited Life Time for failing to complete staff files for their childcare facility in Phoenix, according to the complaint,

The company's other centers in Tempe, Gilbert and Goodyear, have also been cited by DHS for various violations including: incomplete staff files and lacking valid fingerprint clearance cards for some employees.

Jason Thunstrom, with Life Time Fitness, released this statement in regards to the civil lawsuit:

"In accordance with our policy, we don't comment on pending litigation. We intend to vigorously defend ourselves in this matter."