Suspected University of Iowa peeping Tom back in custody on theft charge

IOWA CITY - The Coralville man accused of breaking into University of Iowa dorm rooms and recording women as they showered is back in custody after an arrest for an unrelated incident earlier this year.

Coralville police arrested 23-year-old Robert L. Hightower on April 27, for an incident alleged to have occurred a two days earlier. Police said on April 25, Hightower was at Anytime Fitness and observed on surveillance video taking another member's cellphone from a cubby as they worked out. Hightower later walked out of the gym with the phone, valued at approximately $630, still in his possession.

Hightower now faces one count of third-degree theft, an aggravated misdemeanor punishable by up to two years in prison.

Hightower had been on pretrial release on two counts of second-degree burglary, three counts of invasion of privacy and one count of assaulting a peace officer related to allegations that he broke into rooms in Burge Residence Hall in February and recorded women showering.

University of Iowa police said Hightower - who is not a student or affiliated with the university - admitted to entering women's bathrooms on Feb. 12 and 13. On each occasion, he recorded a woman showering.

Police said sometime during the late evening of Feb. 14 or the early morning of Feb. 15, Hightower entered a fifth floor Burge dorm room, found a card wallet and key ring and took a bathroom key. Hightower returned to Burge the evening of Feb. 15, entered a fifth-floor women's bathroom and recorded a woman while she was showering, police said. The woman confronted Hightower and he fled, police said.

Later that night, while taking a report on the earlier incident, an officer was told of suspicious activity in a women's restroom. Hightower was found hiding inside, but escaped after a struggle with the officer.

According to a search warrant affidavit filed Feb. 19 by a UI detective, Hightower was arrested on warrants for peeping and trespass from the Coralville police on Feb. 16. He was brought back to the UI Police Department for questioning in the Feb. 15 invasion of privacy case, the affidavit states.

During an interview, he admitted to filming two women with his cellphone as they showered. He also told police he committed two burglaries at Burge by going into two different dorm rooms and stealing bathroom keys.

Court documents show Assistant Johnson County Attorney Anne Lahey filed a report of a pretrial violation, as well as an application to revoke pretrial release and reinstate bond on May 6. A bench warrant was issued and served that same day. On May 9, Hightower's bond was set at $24,000 cash or surety.

Second-degree burglary is a Class C felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Invasion of privacy and assault on a peace officer are both serious misdemeanors, punishable by up to one year in jail.

Hightower is scheduled for trial Oct. 18. His final pretrial conference is scheduled for Oct. 7.