Ross Finocchio is a distinguished art history professor at NYU. The 34-year-old professor won an award for his work on 19th century art, and he's currently writing a biography about the museum founder and steel magnate Henry Clay Frick. But his talents don't end there; according to the NYPD, Finocchio is also something of an expert at spying on women in dressing rooms.

Finocchio was arrested Monday after a customer told the manager of West Village boutique that she'd noticed him sliding something from his dressing room into hers. The customer and manager then watched as he spied on another customer by placing his phone on his shoe and then sliding it under the undressing woman's door.

At that point the manager confronted Finocchio.

“I knocked on [his dressing-room door] and said, ‘You have to come out right now,’” said manager Stephanie Williams.

She said when he finally came out, “he was sweating profusely.”

Williams then snapped the above photo and called the police, who arrested Finocchio. The former NYU valedictorian was charged with unlawful surveillance, a felony. And despite his very believable initial excuse —"I’m so embarrassed. I was recording myself for a project — if I could just explain myself,” – Finocchio reportedly confessed to making the recordings.

An NYU spokesman told the New York Post that Finocchio "will not be assigned to any duties that involves contact with students” until the investigation is complete.

[New York Post]

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