A hidden camera was found in the washroom of a Starbucks at Yonge and King Sts. and police are investigating.

The camera was hidden in an electrical outlet under a sink in one of the store’s unisex washrooms. The outlet covering had a hole through which the lens was aimed directly at the toilet.

Toronto police were called to investigate after the store’s manager reported it on May 2, but the store closed before they arrived. Police retrieved the camera the next day.

The contents of the recording device are being investigated, according to Toronto police spokesperson Gary Long.

Long said that, as of now, the police have no idea where the device originated and who was behind it.

It’s a question Starbucks Canada has not been able to answer.

Tim Gallant, senior communications manager for Starbucks Canada, said that their employees clean and stock the bathrooms several times throughout the day, and that, if they “notice anything or are alerted to anything unusual, it’s immediately reported to the police, and we respect their investigation process.”

Toronto police said they won’t be able to comment on the content in the camera until the investigation is complete.

A screenshot of an internal message between Starbucks staff discussing the discovery of the camera circulated on Reddit, alerting other location managers to check their washrooms.

Gallant said he could “confirm that once alerted to the device, our partners (employees) acted quickly and reported this incident immediately to the police. There was no 24-hour delay. Store leadership in the area were contacted and we confirmed that no other devices were found. Police visited the store the following day to collect the device.”

He said they could not comment further, as police are investigating.

Long said no other cases of hidden cameras in Starbucks washrooms have been reported.

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