Post Falls man denies videotaping girl

A Post Falls man pleaded not guilty Friday to video voyeurism.

Vincent P. Aschinger, 36, is set to stand trial in October for allegedly enticing a girl to come into his home and change clothes while he secretly videotaped her.

Aschinger has also pleaded not guilty to three charges of lewd conduct with a minor under 16. He will be tried separately on those charges, with three trials for those cases set for November.

Kootenai County Deputy Prosecutor Art Verharen said in a brief hearing Friday that he wasn’t aware of the other cases and wasn’t sure why a motion hadn’t been filed to try those cases together.

The deadline for filing such a motion has passed, Deputy Public Defender Christopher Schwartz said.

According to police reports, the victims in all four cases are preteen girls.

Post Falls police were investigating molestation allegations against Aschinger last fall when he allegedly fled to Oregon. Authorities there arrested him on an outstanding warrant from Latah County.

He was brought to Kootenai County in June to face two felony charges of lewd conduct. Prosecutors later charged Aschinger with an additional count of lewd conduct and video voyeurism.

Detectives found more than 50,000 images on Aschinger’s home computer, according to Post Falls police reports. Some were pornographic images of young women – some apparently teens – engaged in sexual activity, the report said.

Pictures of young girls and women in swimsuits that appeared to have been taken at Coeur d’Alene City Beach and Post Falls parks were also found on Aschinger’s computer, the report said. Investigators said most of those pictures focused on the girls’ and women’s groins and buttocks.