A Washington, D.C., health care lobbyist is facing dozens of child pornography charges after allegedly videotaping up the skirts of women and a 16-year-old at a popular Northern Virginia mall.
Shawn Gremminger, 44, was arrested Aug. 27 at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and is being held without bond, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
POLITICO reported that the veteran lobbyist served as president and CEO of the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions until Sept. 4. He is facing 34 total charges, including 30 counts of possession of child pornography, one count of production of child pornography, and one count of unlawful creation of an image of a minor (all felonies), along with two misdemeanor counts of nonconsensual filming.
The investigation into Gremminger, who lives in Fall Church, Virginia, started on Aug. 16 after distressed patrons called police to report a man using his phone to record up the skirt of an 18-year-old woman shopping for clothes. Mall surveillance footage reportedly caught Gremminger explicitly recording another 18-year-old woman at a different store before being confronted, according to charging documents cited by POLITICO.
In a separate incident the day before, Gremminger allegedly targeted a 16-year-old girl inside Victoria’s Secret while visiting the mall with people POLITICO reported appeared to be his ex-wife and daughter.
According to 7News, one of the victims and a family member confronted the man during one of the incidents, but he fled before police arrived. Detectives used automated license plate reader technology to track down the wealthy DC executive.
Following his arrest at the airport, police seized and searched Gremminger’s electronic devices.
“During a search of Gremminger’s electronic devices, detectives discovered evidence indicating there may be additional victims,” local police said in a statement. “Detectives are asking anyone with information about these incidents or who believes they may have been a victim to contact our Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800, option 3.”
Gremminger is scheduled to appear next in Fairfax County General District Court on Oct. 21 for an adjudicatory hearing on the two nonconsensual filming charges, Fairfax County local news reported. A hearing on the felony charges – including unlawful filming of a minor and production of child porn charges – is set for Nov. 20. A separate hearing on the child pornography possession charges is scheduled on Dec. 2, local media reported.
The National Alliance of Healthcare Purchasers Coalition confirmed Tuesday the company moved quickly to terminate Gremminger.
“The Board of Governors took immediate action to fire the former president and CEO,” the National Alliance said, adding that the charges are “unrelated to the organization’s members, funders, finances, programs or operations.”
On Sept. 4, Chief of Staff Jenny Goins was named interim president and CEO.
The organization said it will continue working with its members and partners while advancing its mission to improve “value, quality and accountability” across the health care system.
