A Craig man recently accused of taking photos of women in the Steamboat Springs Jimmy John’s bathroom last month was arrested again April 17 by Craig police for allegedly recording his roommate in a home bathroom, according to an arrest affidavit.
Dustin Hyatt, 47, was charged with one count of criminal attempt and invasion of privacy for sexual gratification for the alleged crimes, adding to his preexisting 26 counts of invasion of privacy for sexual gratification and 25 counts of criminal attempt in the pending Routt County case involving Jimmy John’s.
Following a prior arrest, law enforcement obtained Hyatt’s phone to investigate drug transactions after he gave permission, according to court documents. While looking through the phone, a law enforcement officer saw “images and/or videos of women in bathroom stalls.”
He told law enforcement that he did this “approximately 10 times” in 2024 and used his smart watch to remotely control the recordings on his phone, according to court documents.
According to the affidavit filed in his latest arrest, an informant contacted a Craig police officer on March 26 following Hyatt’s arrest for the alleged crimes in the Jimmy John’s case, stating they wanted to “pass on a situation.”
The informant told police about a March 7 incident when the informant was in the shower and heard a noise in the bathroom.
The affidavit states that Hyatt is dating the informant’s roommate and had moved in with them before the alleged acts.
According to the affidavit, the informant found a “video camera recording device that had been screwed into the ceiling light socket.” The camera “appeared to be following (the informant’s) movements in the bathroom.”
When the informant asked Hyatt about the camera, Hyatt stated that he was “just testing it out,” states the affidavit.
The informant told police the camera was linked to Hyatt’s phone. The informant wanted to pursue charges against Hyatt, according to the affidavit.
Police matched a photo of the recording device provided by the informant with a “screw in surveillance camera” with “real-time motion tracking,” according to the affidavit.
An arrest warrant for Hyatt was issued April 16, according to court documents.
Hyatt was arrested the following day after a Craig police officer recognized his vehicle and initiated a traffic stop, and “knew (Hyatt) had a valid warrant for his arrest,” states the arrest affidavit.
During the traffic stop, Hyatt was “placed into custody for the warrant without incident,” the affidavit continues.
After Hyatt was taken to Moffat County Jail, a Craig police officer noticed a “blue vial lying on the floor” while he was typing on the computer, states the affidavit.
The Craig police officer picked up the vial and handed it to a jail deputy. According to the affidavit, there was a “small amount of a white substance in the bottom of the vial.” The substance later tested positive for meth.
According to the affidavit, police reviewed surveillance footage, which allegedly shows Hyatt “reach into the back of his pants and dig something out” and hide the item under his pants on the floor.
Hyatt is not allowed to possess or consume alcohol or controlled substances due to a protection order issued in a previous case. That protection order expires in 2026, according to the affidavit.
Due to the alleged crimes, Hyatt faces additional charges of introducing contraband to a jail or prison, possession of drug paraphernalia, tampering with physical evidence and violating a protection order.
For the case involving alleged invasion of privacy related to the camera in the bathroom, Craig police requested bond be set at $1,500, according to the affidavit.
Hyatt was previously charged in 2023 with nine counts of invasion of privacy for sexual gratification, but the charges were dropped, according to court documents. Hyatt was later found guilty of a lowered charge of “lewd exposure,” which is a petty offense.
According to bond paperwork provided by the Moffat County Combined Courts clerk’s office, Hyatt’s bond in that case was set at $50 last Friday by County Judge James Hesson.
For the case involving alleged possession of the meth vial, which is separate from the invasion of privacy case, bond was set at $150.
Hyatt posted both bonds and was released from Moffat County Jail on Sunday, according to the Moffat County Combined Courts clerk’s office.
It should be noted that Hyatt is alleged to have recorded his roommate in the bathroom before he was arrested for allegedly taking photos of women in the Steamboat Springs Jimmy John’s bathroom, and did not violate the conditions of his bond issued in the Jimmy John’s case.
The dynamics and timing of the charges brought against Hyatt and how bail was set in his cases may raise questions for some members of the community, but Attorney Ian Farrell, an associate professor at the Sturm College of Law at the University of Denver explained the purpose of bond laws in Colorado.
“The reason we have bail is to try to ensure that the person charged turns up to court,” said Farrell.
Farrell said that although it can be argued that the community would want a legal mechanism to prevent habitual offenders from reoffending — that is not the purpose of a bond.
“It is not there to protect the community from someone offending,” added Farrell. “It’s not based on how likely it is that a person will reoffend. It’s not punishment because the person has not been found guilty for the crime yet. It’s all about giving someone an incentive to turn up to court.”
In total, Hyatt has been arrested 61 times in Colorado since 1998, according to CBI criminal history documents. Since the beginning of the year, Hyatt has been arrested five times.
According to criminal history provided by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Hyatt has been arrested three times since his arrest for allegedly taking photos of women in the Steamboat Springs Jimmy John’s bathroom.
For the case involving alleged possession of a meth vial, Hyatt’s next court appearance is scheduled for 2 p.m. May 8.
Hyatt’s next court appearance for the case involving the alleged recording device is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. May 29.
For the case involving the Jimmy John’s bathroom, Hyatt will next appear in court at 9:30 a.m. May 14.
Editor’s note: Every person accused of a crime is presumed to be innocent unless and until their guilt is established beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
