Olivia hog farmer sentenced to jail time for recording showering women

An Olivia hog farmer has been sentenced to jail time for recording women in the shower of his barn without their knowledge.

Nicolas Steffel, 28, pleaded guilty Thursday to six counts of interference with privacy in Renville County District Court.

Steffel was sentenced to 45 days in jail.  District Court Judge Laurence J. Stratton stayed 135 days of Steffel’s jail sentence and placed him on three years of probation monitored by the county.

Steffel recorded 23 videos of women showering in his bio-controlled hog barn between Oct 2016 and Dec 2019. He also created  104 still images from the videos.

The six women recorded by Steffel were unaware they were being filmed, according to court documents.