Post Falls man faces voyeurism charges

A longtime Post Falls doctor has been charged with secretly videotaping friends and family in his home bathroom.

William M. Fouche, 58, was arrested on a warrant in Hattiesburg, Miss., Friday evening, according to the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department. Bond has been set at $1 million and the doctor is facing extradition to Kootenai County.

Also on Friday, 10 of Fouche’s alleged victims filed a civil lawsuit against the doctor in Kootenai County District Court, seeking damages of $10,000 or more.

The complaint says that Fouche invited the plaintiffs to his home where they were unknowingly “viewed, photographed or videotaped” while they undressed, showered or “engaged in other private activity.”

The Sheriff’s Department said the criminal charges against Fouche were filed under a new voyeurism law that went into effect March 19.

The law makes it a felony to videotape a person for sexual purposes, without their knowledge or consent, in a place where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy, according to the Sheriff’s Department.

The charges include four counts of video voyeurism and one charge of sexual battery to a child. Wolfinger said Fouche didn’t have physical contact with any of the alleged victims, but under the state’s sexual battery statutes, videotaping a minor is considered sexual battery.

“He set it up so he could videotape people in his guest bathroom,” Wolfinger said. “One of the victims discovered it.”

Wolfinger said Fouche recorded family and friends from the first part of April to early August. One of the victims was a minor, Wolfinger said. He wouldn’t say how many people were videotaped in Fouche’s bathroom.

Chris Billingslea said he and the other doctors at Post Falls Family Medicine, where Fouche worked for 27 years, were shocked when they heard the accusations.

“It has a nightmarish quality to it,” Billingslea said. “He’s been a great doctor here for a lot of years. We couldn’t believe it.”

Billingslea said Fouche told his colleagues in August that he needed some time off. When they found out why the doctor had asked for time off, “We talked to him and he retired,” Billingslea said.

“When we heard about this, we checked the building,” he said. “We made sure there wasn’t any pictures here.” The colleagues also reviewed Fouche’s charts, looking for anything unusual or inappropriate.

Billingslea said they also reported Fouche to the State Board of Medicine.

The board’s associate director, Mary Leonard, said she couldn’t confirm or deny if any complaints had been made against Fouche. That information is only made public if the board has investigated and taken action on a complaint, she said.

The doctor had no previous criminal record and no previous disciplinary action, according to an Internet database of Idaho physicians and the Sheriff’s Department.

Fouche reportedly made a tearful confession in August in front of the congregation at Coeur d’Alene Church of the Nazarene. He attended the church for many years and his late wife had founded the church’s successful Christian school.

“He confessed he had not been living the life he should for the Lord,” said Corinna Hunter, wife of the Rev. Ron Hunter, who was out of town Monday. “He wanted to ask forgiveness to his family and friends.”

Hunter said the congregation didn’t know specifics of the allegations against Fouche. She was concerned that once the news of his arrest was made public, the congregation and his victims would be grieving all over again.

“It’s a very, very sad thing for all of us,” she said. “We’re all grieving. All of his friends and family are grieving over this.”