A prestigious British biologist formerly connected to UCSB’s National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) was sentenced last Friday to two months in County Jail for capturing hidden footage of his tenants in the bedrooms and bathrooms at his Montecito home. Steven Courtney, 61, will also serve three years of probation, be required to register as a sex offender, and pay more than $17,000 in restitution fees.
Police said Courtney — who pleaded guilty to five counts of electronic peeping — had been spying on his tenants for sexual gratification for more than a year. He was caught after one of the tenants found the miniature camera disguised as USB chargers and called the police.
Prosecutors identified six victims, but there is speculation more exist as Courtney actively sought to rent out his front house to people he knew while he lived in the back unit. He was active in the bird watching community and, according to his LinkedIn account, split his time between Santa Barbara and Washington, D.C. He has worked on issues involving endangered species, biodiversity, and held high-ranking positions at nonprofits trying to influence public policy.