The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office has filed charges and issued an arrest warrant for a Grover Beach man accused of filming nude women in tanning booths at an area gym.
The criminal complaint alleges that, at a fitness center in Arroyo Grande, Combs “secretly used a device to view or record women while they were nude inside standing tanning booths, a place where any person would reasonably expect complete privacy,” District Attorney Dan Dow said in a news release.
The charged offenses allegedly occurred between July 12, 2025, and December 29, 2025, and involved 12 separate “Jane Doe” victims. There is evidence of many other additional incidents of the same conduct committed at the same location but that occurred between January and June of 2025, so those counts were outside of the statute of limitations period and could not be charged in this case.
“Secretly recording women while they are nude inside tanning booths is a deeply disturbing violation of privacy, dignity, and personal security,” said Dow. “People using a gym or fitness center should never have to fear that they are being watched or recorded in one of their most private moments. Our office will continue to work with law enforcement to hold offenders accountable and to seek justice for every victim.
These allegations arise from an investigation by the Arroyo Grande Police Department involving suspected secret recordings at the Planet Fitness in Arroyo Grande. Investigators continue working to determine whether there are additional victims who were targeted in the same manner.
Kyle L. Combs, 40, of Grover Beach, was charged with 12 misdemeanor counts of violating Penal Code section 647(j)(1), invasion of privacy.
“Readers may be justifiably disturbed,” Dow said, “to learn that, under current California law, allegations involving secretly recording multiple nude victims in private tanning booths are generally chargeable only as misdemeanors unless additional circumstances exist. If the public believes this conduct should be punishable as a felony, that change must come from the California Legislature, and residents may contact their State Assemblymember and State Senator through the official representative lookup page at findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov.”
Under California law, Penal Code section 647(j)(1) prohibits using a device to look into or otherwise view a private area, including a dressing room or tanning booth, with the intent to invade another person’s privacy. Because the complaint alleges adult victims and does not allege a qualifying prior conviction, the conduct being alleged in this case can only be charged as misdemeanors under California law.
Women who used the tanning or red-light therapy rooms at the Arroyo Grande Planet Fitness during 2025 and have not yet spoken with investigators are encouraged to contact Arroyo Grande Police Detective Brandon Earnest at (805) 473-5110 ext. 7021 or by email at bearnest@arroyogrande.org.
Superior Court Judge Erin Childs signed an arrest warrant and set bail in the amount of $50,000.
