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Philadelphia Spy Cam Store Riding Wave Of Interest In Elder Abuse Case

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - So-called "nanny cams" -- hidden cameras that can be installed in one's own home -- are becoming more popular as technology improves and prices go down, allowing those buying the devices to get some peace of mind that their loved ones are being cared for properly.

At Philly Spy Shop, on Cottman Avenue near Castor in Northeast Philadelphia, one man was picking up a working clock-radio equipped with a hidden camera for $199.99.  It's to make sure, he says, that his elderly mother-in-law is getting proper care at the facility where she lives.

"You know, there are some things that just aren't right there, and that's why I'm here," the man, who did not want to be identified, told KYW Newsradio.

Gumersindo Vidot III (top photo), the manager of Philly Spy Shop, was showing all sort of gadgets with surveillance capability including clocks, a wristwatch, a pack of cigarettes -- even a light bulb.

"Audio can be disabled," Vidot explains.  "In the state of Pennsylvania, for example, it is illegal to record somebody's voice without their consent. I do have other items that do not record audio, such as regular pinhole cameras which you can hide anywhere."

Valerie Levesque reports...

Earlier this week arrests were made in Delaware County, Pa., after hidden-camera images allegedly caught a staffer at a senior living facility abusing a patient (see related story).   Authorities say the camera, placed by a family member, was hidden in a clock.

Reported by John McDevitt, KYW Newsradio 1060.

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