AUSTIN, Texas — A woman is pressing charges against an employee after she claims he took photos under her skirt during a virtual reality experience.
Olivia Howell said it happened on Oct. 5 while she was with her friends at Sandbox VR in Domain NORTHSIDE.
The venue offers virtual reality experiences, usually in a group setting, and provides a video of it at the end. Throughout the experience, Howell and her friends were wearing headsets.
It wasn’t until the experience was over that she caught a man crouching behind her multiple times, snapping photos under her skirt. The entire incident happened in less than five seconds.
“I had no sense of what was happening around me,” Howell said. “I felt violated. Uncomfortable because we caught it on camera. And I don’t know how many other women this has happened to prior.”
Howell said she alerted another employee of what she witnessed in the video, who then alerted management. Howell said the employee – who has not been named – apologized and deleted the photos off his phone.
“He didn’t really feel sorry about it,” Howell said.
After the ordeal, Howell shared her story on social media to raise awareness, in hopes it doesn’t happen to another person. However, Howell said she received some backlash in comments over her wardrobe.
“So many comments about them saying it’s because of the way I dressed,” Howell said. “That should never be the subject … because it can happen to anybody.”
Howell said the message she wants to get across is that the incident should have never happened.
“Wear what you want. Be comfortable,” Howell said. “It’s the person who did the unexplainable, the unimaginable. So don’t put the blame on you because it’s their fault.”
Sandbox VR told KVUE that they’re cooperating with law enforcement in their investigation and that the employee is “no longer affiliated” with the company. They also issued the following statement which read, in part:
“We want to assure our customers and the public that this alleged behavior is entirely unacceptable and goes against everything Sandbox VR stands for. We are committed to providing a safe, respectful, and enjoyable environment for all our guests.”
The Austin Police Department said the Sex Crimes Unit is investigating the incident as an ‘Invasive Visual Recording’ case.
So far, no arrests have been made and their investigation is ongoing.