Thurston corrections sergeant accused of voyeurism released from jail without bail
A Thurston County judge ordered a corrections sergeant accused of voyeurism to be released without bail Tuesday.
Taylor Beau Hendershot, 30, learned of his release conditions during his preliminary hearing at the county’s Superior Court.
Olympia police arrested him on Monday following a criminal investigation into a reported sex offense. Court records state he’s accused of putting a camera inside a shampoo bottle that was discovered by a 29-year-old woman while she took a shower. The offense reportedly took place at Hendershot’s family home while the woman was temporarily staying on the property.
Thurston County deputies initially responded to the report Sunday. However, deputies handed off the investigation to Olympia police after learning Hendershot was a sergeant at the county jail, the Sheriff’s Office shared in a Tuesday news release.
“Upon learning of the allegations, TCSO immediately placed the employee on administrative leave and initiated protocols to ensure the safety and privacy of the victim,” the release states. “The badge and gun of the employee were seized during this process.”
In addition to the criminal investigation, the Sheriff’s Office says it launched an internal investigation into Hendershot.
The internal investigation will be completed once the Sheriff’s Office receives a report from Olympia police, according to the release. The Sheriff’s Office says it may take “further action” after that happens.
“Thurston County Sheriff’s Office will continue to cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation as we are committed to ensuring justice is properly served in this matter,” the release states.
What happened in court Tuesday?
Superior Court Judge John Skinder found probable cause for first-degree voyeurism Tuesday and ordered Hendershot to be released with several conditions.
Notably, he ordered Hendershot to undergo electronic home monitoring with a GPS device. He also barred him from contacting the alleged victim, possessing firearms, leaving the state and violating the law.
“I’m not ordering monetary bail because I don’t think at this point that there is a reason to do that in the sense that I think you can follow these conditions,” Skinder said.
If Hendershot violates any of these orders, prosecutors may ask for an arrest warrant and a revocation of his release conditions.
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Brendan Rochford asked Skinder to set bail at $100,000 given the seriousness of the allegation and his employment responsibilities.
“The facts of this case are extremely concerning. … He’s a corrections sergeant here in Thurston County and part of the mission of law enforcement is to maintain the public trust in its integrity,” Rochford said. “These allegations are tantamount to a breach of that public trust in law enforcement.”
Hendershot was represented by Thurston County Public Defense Director Patrick O’Connor in court Tuesday. O’Connor asked the court to set conditions but no monetary bail.
“As Mr. Hendershot presents to the court today, he’s a 30-year-old, lifelong resident of this community with no criminal history and of course, presumed innocent of the charges,” O’Connor said. “This is just an allegation.”
O’Connor said Hendershot intended to return to his family home, which he shares with his parents and sister. He said the alleged victim in this case no longer resides on the property.
What did the investigation find?
A probable cause statement describes the investigation from the perspective of law enforcement.
A deputy contacted the woman who reported the offense on Sunday. She told the deputy she had been staying on Hendershot’s family property for about two weeks after transitioning from a deployment.
On Saturday, she took a shower inside the home after going to the gym with Hendershot. During the shower, she knocked over a shampoo bottle in a recently installed shower caddy and noticed a “rattle” inside the bottle.
She inspected the bottle and found a camera inside attached to an SD card. She said she felt “scared and distraught” upon the discovery, according to the statement.
The woman said she took photos of the shampoo bottle, put it back on the caddy and left the home.
She explained to the deputy that Hendershot was a lifelong friend and they had never been in a romantic relationship. However, she stated Hendershot had previously expressed romantic interest and she had caught him looking through her phone in the past.
After leaving the home, Hendershot reportedly sent the woman text messages in which he asked about the shampoo bottle. The woman replied that it was not hers.
She told the deputy that Hendershot used that brand of shampoo and she had seen it in the shower before.
The deputy later met Hendershot outside his home. Hendershot approached the deputy with a shampoo bottle in his hands and asked him if he was there because of the bottle.
He handed the deputy the bottle, but the deputy noticed that it looked different from the bottle the woman photographed. The camera and SD card were missing as well.
When questioned, the statement says Hendershot made conflicting statements about the shampoo and showers he used at the home. The deputy asked to see the shower in the home but Hendershot denied the request, saying he did not want to wake his family.
An Olympia police officer took over the investigation and contacted the woman for an interview. The woman confirmed what she shared with the deputy and added some more details.
The woman told the officer she was deployed to the East Coast on an assignment and returned to Washington with Hendershot’s help. She primarily stayed in a camper on Hendershot’s family property but she did use the hallway bathroom at their home.
She said Hendershot typically used a master bathroom to shower but began using the hallway bathroom a couple days before she found the camera.
She said Hendershot showered first after they returned from the gym and about one to two hours had passed until she took a shower in the same bathroom.
She said the camera she found had an on and off switch that was in the on position. She said the camera was positioned at about chest height. She believed Hendershot set up the camera to capture images or videos for his own sexual gratification.
In the Tuesday news release, the Sheriff’s Office stated Olympia police served a search warrant on the residence and seized digital evidence.
This story was originally published May 21, 2025 at 10:36 AM.
