Why was Ethan Richardson arrested? Charges explored as Walmart employee accused of filming kids in store restroom

A former Walmart employee, 25-year-old Ethan Richardson, has been indicted on over 50 felony child p*rnography charges on Thursday, May 4, 2023. Ethan was initially arrested in February 2023 after he was accused of videotaping underage children without their consent, in the washroom of the Walmart on Olive Street in Cullman, Alabama.

Trigger warning: The article contains references to child abuse and child p*rnography. Readers’ discretion is advised.

Ethan Richardson allegedly videotaped around nineteen minors, a few of whom were just two-year-olds. Ethan was indicted by a Cullman County grand jury on May 4, 2023, after he was accused of doing the wrong deed “for the purposes of s*xual gratification.”

Cullman investigators further revealed that these unsettling events took place between October 2022 and February 2023. A civil complaint had also been filed by the father of a 4-year-old, who noticed Richardson trying to record his daughter who was inside a stall.

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Former Walmart employee Ethan Richardson was arrested in February

Ethan Richardson, an ex-Walmart employee has been indicted by a Cullman County grand jury on 53 child p*rnography charges. He currently faces production of child p*rnography, possession of child p*rnography charges, and aggravated criminal surveillance.

Walmart and Ethan Richardson have been sued by at least one family in a civil suit. According to the lawsuit, Walmart retained Ethan even when “they had notice of his propensity to speak to children of customers in an inappropriate manner.” It further alleges wanton, negligent, wilful hiring, supervision, and/or retention of an employee, outrageous conduct, wilful and wanton conduct, and invasion of privacy.

After being taken into custody on February 22, 2023, Ethan Richardson was released on a $80,000 bond. He was then arrested in connection to an incident that took place on February 4, 2023, at the Walmart in South Cullman, Alabama.

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Richardson has been indicted on 53 counts of child p*rnography charges

Authorities arrested him for the second time and additional charges were filed against Richardson. He currently is being held on a bond of $625,000. He has been charged with 17 counts of possession of child p*rnography, 19 counts of aggravated surveillance, and 17 counts of production of child p*rnography.

According to CPD Public Relations Officer Sgt. Adam Clark said that there had been concerns about Ethan getting out and there being more victims after his release. However, Clark said that it wasn't the case and that the new charges came as a result of a prior arrest and investigation. He added that they had found more victims, which led to 53 additional charges against Richardson.

Although Richardson was accused of talking inappropriately with minors, the nature of the conversations was not revealed. Walmart released a statement addressing the incident and said that this was an example of people being observant of their surroundings. They said that these people understood what was happening and alerted Walmart about the dangerous situation, which led to the discovery of the crime that occurred.

Ethan Richardson’s conduct and behavior are currently under investigation.