A former University of Illinois at Chicago student admitted to Chicago police that he secretly videotaped three girls in their dorm room with a camera hidden inside a pen, Cook County prosecutors said today.



John R. Holliday, 19, of the 200 block of Hawthorne Court in Sleepy Hollow, was charged with a felony count of unauthorized videotaping and two counts of placing a video device in a residence without authority, both misdemeanors. He has not yet entered a plea.



Holliday, who is now a sophomore at Elgin Community College, was held in lieu of $50,000 bail, with 10 percent needed for release.



During a bond court hearing, Cook County Judge Peggy Chiampas warned Holliday not to return to the U of I Chicago campus.



"You understand me young man?" Chiampas said sternly, as Holliday appeared solemn.



Holliday was arrested at 10:20 a.m. Friday and admitted to the recordings, which allegedly occurred at various times on Jan 27 and May 3, Assistant Cook County State's Attorney Maureen Hughes said.



Hughes said police recovered the recordings, which showed the female students, all 19, undressing in their dorm room on the 900 block of West Harrison Street.



Holliday attended the college at the time, court records show. He does not have a prior criminal record. He is due back in court Sept. 9.



cgutowski@tribune.com