POCATELLO — A former Costco employee charged with felony video voyeurism, accused of recording a youth in the retailer’s bathroom, was hit Wednesday with 25 felony charges of possession of child pornography.

The Chubbuck Police Department reported Wednesday morning that the continuing investigation into James Blatter resulted in his arrest Tuesday evening on those 25 charges. Chubbuck police said the investigation continues to be active.

Blatter was arrested at his Chubbuck home earlier this month after a Costco patron noticed him behaving suspiciously. 

In the court documents, the man says he was washing his hands as Blatter walked into the restroom. Blatter then walked up to the urinal next to his child. The man noted that Blatter had a gold-colored pen, which appeared to have a dome at one end, and was hanging his hand over the divider, seemingly pointing the pen toward his son.

The man told police he suspected a recording device and went to his child, placing his hand in a position to obstruct the pen should it be a recording device. 

Once the man and his child finished in the restroom, the man sought out Costco management. The court documents show that Gordon Carlson, manager of the Costco store, got involved, getting information from the man who also helped identify Blatter as the individual in the bathroom.

Carlson then contacted police.

Officers investigating the incident served a search warrant on Blatter’s residence on Oct. 1, the day following the incident. During their conversation at his home, Blatter admitted having the gold-colored pen and said it was a recording device, court documents show. He told police he used it to record his supervisors.

“When I asked about child pornography Blatter hung his head and said that he needed (legal) counsel,” is written in the court documents.

Carlson told the Journal last week that the incident was unfortunate and Costco has always made the safety of its members and employees a priority. He said Costco is cooperating fully with law enforcement in the ongoing investigation.

“Because it is an active police investigation, Costco is unable to comment beyond making it clear that the suspect is no longer employed by Costco,” Carlson said last week. “Costco is committed to obeying the law and taking care of its members. The company has done everything possible to honor those commitments here, and will continue to do so as the situation progresses.”

Blatter posted $30,000 bail in the video voyeurism case but as of Wednesday evening, remained in custody on the child pornography charges in lieu of posting a $50,000 bond.

He was scheduled for a preliminary hearing on the video voyeurism charge Wednesday morning, but that hearing has been postponed to Nov. 13.

He is also slated for a preliminary hearing in the newest case on Oct. 29.

A preliminary hearing is a probable cause hearing during which prosecutors must prove a crime has been committed and there is reason to suspect the person charged may have committed it. It does not carry the same requirement of proving the case beyond a reasonable doubt as in a criminal trial.