By Amy Joles (Contact / Staff Bio)
December 22, 2007 - 12:00 a.m. EST

CARO — A former Unionville-Sebewaing Area Middle School teacher has officially been charged with secretly videotaping female students as they undressed at his home.

Joshua J. Brinkman, 27, was arraigned Friday on one count of capturing/distributing an image of an unclothed person, which is a felony.

Brinkman, who previously coached the USA Varsity girls basketball team, was suspended from the district Jan. 15 after he was accused of taping the girls. He resigned from USA Schools later that month, due to “personal reasons.”

“There were a number of students over at his residence at the time,” said Mark Reene, Tuscola County Prosecutor. “It was a mix (of boys and girls).”

Reene said he was not sure of the reason why the students were at Brinkman’s Fairgrove-area home on Jan. 14, which is when the alleged recording took place.

Troopers from the State Police Post in Caro obtained evidence from Brinkman’s home and at the school where he worked. Computers and other items of interest were taken from both scenes, including a video camera.

“There were a lot of different aspects to this case - different items of evidence and a lot of issues to work through,” said Reene.

Over the past year, the MSP Computer Crimes Unit in Lansing examined the computers and other electronics devices that were seized.

Reene credited the work of MSP Trooper Amy Hofmeister and Detective Sgt. Mark Krebs for leading the investigation.

A pre-preliminary examination has been scheduled for Jan. 14, 2008 and a preliminary examination has been set for Jan. 18 in Tuscola County District Court.

Bond was set at $50,000 personal recognizance, which means that Brinkman would only be responsible for paying that fee if he does not appear in court when required.

Capturing/Distributing an image of an unclothed person is a felony, punishable by a maximum of five years and/or $5,000 in fines.

Prior to his resignation, Brinkman was employed with USA Schools for four years.

Amy Joles is the editor of the Tuscola County Advertiser. She can be reached at joles@tcadvertiser.com.