BELCHERTOWN — A lieutenant with the Belchertown Police Department has been charged with illegal wiretapping after allegedly filming women naked inside his own home without their consent or knowledge.

Lt. Michael Beaupre appeared in Eastern Hampshire District Court on Thursday, where he pleaded not guilty to 11 charges of unlawful wiretapping and 10 charges of photographing an unsuspecting nude person. 

The charges are tied to allegations that Beaupre was “surveilling a person in the nude,” a state prosecutor said Wednesday. During Beaupre’s arraignment, the state alleged that a person who was in a relationship with Beaupre discovered a thumb drive at his home, which contained a folder of images of her naked, including performing sexual acts. Those videos were taken without her knowledge, permission or consent, the prosecutor alleged.

According to the criminal complaint filed against Beaupre on Thursday, the victim said that Beaupre had previously asked her if he could film their sexual activities and that she "emphatically stated no."

During the course of analysis, investigators alleged that they discovered additional videos of others who were similarly videotaped and audio recorded without their consent. The court documents say that investigators "observed approximately 60 folders with women's names," and that those folders contained hundreds of videos.

"Of the 60 folders, we were able to locate 13 folders with videos that were consistent with surreptitious recordings," court documents state. 

The investigators said that they were able to identify seven of those women, who they allege were filmed from several devices in Beaupre's bedroom and downstairs in his living room. Those videos include audio recordings of conversations.

Judge Bruce Melikian indicated that there were seven alleged victims in the case. Prosecutors allege the recordings were taken between 2017 and 2021. 

Melikian ordered Beaupre held on $5,000 bail, which he posted immediately after his arraignment. Melikian also ordered that Beaupre have no direct or indirect contact with the alleged victims, who he must stay at least 50 yards from.

First hired as a part-time Belchertown police officer in 2007, Beaupre was appointed a full-time officer in 2008 and became sergeant in 2017. He was promoted to the lieutenant’s role last summer, according to the Police Department.

Last week, Belchertown Police Department spokesperson David Squires said that Beaupre had been on paid administrative leave for around six weeks in connection with the investigation, which the Worcester County district attorney’s office conducted. On Thursday, he said Beaupre remains on leave and that the department has no additional information to provide. 

A spokesperson for the Worcester County district attorney’s office did not immediately respond to questions.

Beaupre is due back in court on June 14 for his next court hearing in the matter.

Dusty Christensen can be reached at dchristensen@gazettenet.com.]]>