Police bodycam video shows police confronting convicted sex offender accused of flying drone at neighbor's window

WASHINGTON (TND) — New police bodycam video shows the moments leading up to the arrest of a convicted sex offender accused of flying a drone outside his neighbor's window in Rhode Island.

The Cranston Police Department said Christopher Jones used a drone to look inside his neighbor's home.

WJAR spoke with the neighbor on Monday.

It was this window where I heard the buzzing,"Stephanie Merola told WJAR. "The blinds were open like this but the window was wide open so I could hear outside."

Police tracked the drone to Jones, who later admitted to the incident.

I was contacted by the family last night at 10:30. It's basically an invasion of privacy. I’m very ashamed about this. I’m very embarrassed, but I had a drone and actually flew it in the neighbors’ yard," Jones says in the video.

Jones was charged with one felony count of video voyeurism.

The department's Special Victims Unit said Jones was convicted on a charge of assault with intent to commit first-degree sexual assault in 1999. His requirement to register as a sex offender ended in 2015.

My prior incident -- that's all done. It’s almost 25 years ago," says Jones.

Jones is seen in the bodycam video telling police he expected them to come so he called out of work to eliminate a walk of shame.

Police ask him if he'd like to come down to the station and clear things up on his own before the charges were filed.

My only fear is that I go down there and I speak to the detective not with legal representation and then I end up staying there," Jones says.

Jones was arrested shortly after. He’s scheduled to appear in Kent County Court on July 6.