MAN WITH DECADES OF INTERFERENCE WITH PRIVACY CONVICTIONS FACES NEW FELONY CHARGE
Hennepin County Jail Booking Photo
Published: October 8th 2026.
MINNEAPOLIS MN - A 55-year-old man with a criminal history of stalking and invasion-of-privacy convictions dating back to 1995 is facing a new felony charge after prosecutors allege he looked through residential windows in Minneapolis while potentially attempting to record occupants without their knowledge.
John David Searle has been charged in Hennepin County with felony interference with privacy involving a previous conviction following an investigation into alleged prowling activity on July 16, 2025.
According to the criminal complaint, Searle has multiple previous convictions involving similar conduct, including stalking individuals, looking through residential windows and secretly recording people inside their homes.
Court documents describe several prior cases, including a stalking conviction involving the recording of a person inside a bedroom, another conviction involving recordings of college students through their windows, and a separate stalking case in which investigators reportedly discovered recordings involving 11 victims.
Prosecutors also noted that Searle has additional convictions for stalking or interference with privacy dating back more than three decades.
According to the complaint, Minneapolis police responded to a report of a prowler around midnight on July 16, 2025, in a residential neighborhood near the University of Minnesota.
Two adult women reported suspicious activity involving an individual allegedly looking through bedroom and bathroom windows.
One woman told investigators she observed a person crouching outside a window with what appeared to be an electronic device. Investigators also learned that a concrete block had reportedly been positioned beneath a window, potentially allowing someone to look inside.
Another woman described previous suspicious incidents dating back to September 2024, including an occasion when she reportedly noticed a phone being held near her bedroom window.
In a separate incident, neighbors allegedly observed an individual standing outside a bathroom window with a recording device. The individual reportedly fled after being confronted.
Investigators reviewed surveillance footage provided by one of the women and compared the individual captured on video with suspects identified in previous prowler investigations.
According to the complaint, investigators identified Searle as a possible suspect based on similarities in his physical appearance.
Police also examined automated license plate reader information, which reportedly placed a vehicle registered to Searle in the surrounding area on the date of the alleged offense.
Additionally, investigators obtained a search warrant for cellular tower records. Authorities reported that cellphone location data was consistent with Searle's phone being in the general area during the period under investigation.
The complaint does not establish that investigators recovered any recordings of the women from the alleged July 2025 incident.
According to the complaint, Searle's criminal history includes multiple convictions for stalking and interference with privacy, several involving residential window-peeping and unauthorized recordings.
Prosecutors cited that history when arguing that Searle presents a significant public safety risk and requesting substantial bail.
Searle is charged with one felony count of interference with privacy involving a previous conviction under Minnesota Statute 609.746.1(g)(1).
The charge carries a maximum potential sentence of two years in prison and/or a $5,000 fine.
The criminal complaint states that Searle was in custody at the time it was filed.
The allegations in the latest case have not been proven in court. Searle is presumed innocent of the new charge unless and until proven guilty.