CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A Cabell County man has pleaded guilty to spying on an underage female foreign exchange student living at his house with hidden cameras.
Darrel Lee Wells, 59, of Barboursville, pleaded guilty Monday to wiretapping. He was charged with hiding two cameras at his home, one disguised as a towel hanger in the bathroom and another that appeared like a USB block charger in the bathroom, both of which captured both video and audio. The 17-year-old exchange student lived at his house in early 2022.
U.S. Attorneys said that as part of Wells’ guilty plea, he admitted that he saved inappropriate photos and videos of the girl on SD cards, a USB drive, and a laptop hard drive. Wells was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2025.
Wells will be sentenced December 14. He must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. He faces a minimum of two years and six months, and a maximum of five years, in prison. He will also face three years of supervised release and a maximum fine of $250,000.