Smile for the panda-cam, dear

UPI via InterestAlert.com ^ | September 16, 2003 | staff?

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Estranged Australian couples are giving one another the evil eye electronically with spy cameras hidden in toys, a newspaper reported Tuesday.

As an increasing number of couples split and have visitation rights with their children, a growing number are electronically monitoring those visits, the Melbourne Herald Sun said.

The teddy bear cams feature a pen-sized camera that peeks through the nose, eyes or a button, although not just bears are capable of snooping.

Victorian Detective Service general manager Mark Grover said the soft-toy spy cams are custom-made and cost up to $600.

Couples are also hiring private detectives to watch each other during custody visits.

Local investigators said women were driving the trend, but about 35 percent of clients were men.

Grover said grandparents paid for about 50 percent of the firm's custody surveillance work.

"Often they want you to follow a person the night before access starts to check if they've gone to the boozer or are using marijuana," he said.

[Mears]

This disgusts me,whatever happened to trust?

George Orwell must be laughing in his grave!

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Custody disputes are notorious for being vicious. But this level of distrust is disturbing.

[CobaltBlue]

I think it would be illegal to put it in someone else's house, at least in the US.

Using surveillance in your own house is old news.

[Lokibob]

My ex wives (yes, 2 of them) were wonderful mothers to my children, no matter what other differences we had. I can not imagine having done this to either of them.

The children are all grown up now, but when decisions had to be made concerning them, we (ex's hubby, Ex, My wife, and I) got together and made decisions as ADULTS!!!

[zx2dragon]

Taking the teddy bear to the stip club...

:)

Serously though, I would have majour problems with this unless it was sanctioned by the court and because of past problems.

[Apogee]

When one has no evidence against a tightly knit clan of abusers, such a toy might be the best thing going. As much as I hate "for the children" type jurisprudence, surveilling your own children might pass muster. A lawyer might tell you to let him worry about admissibility, if you turned up something pertinent.

[dfwgator]

"That makes me a sad panda."