DOVER, N.H. - The Foster’s Daily Democrat and Rochester Times reporter implicated last week in the planting of a camera in a women’s bathroom in the Rochester building where he worked was arrested on Thursday.
Conor Brendan Makem, 45, of 5 West Concord St., Dover, was picked up by Rochester police around 2 p.m. at his Dover residence without incident, Rochester Police Capt. Paul Toussaint said on Thursday afternoon.
He was released late yesterday on 10,000 cash bail.
Makem is charged with 12 counts of misdemeanor-level Invasion of Privacy and one felony-level count of count of falsification of physical evidence.
Toussaint said the investigation is still very active, and there is much more data to be investigated.
Makem, a part-time Foster’s and Times reporter for the past 10 years, was terminated from the company on Thursday, according to today’s paper.
Makem is also a touring musician who plays with the Makem and Spain Brothers, an Irish band.
The band has not returned messages left with it's booking agent.
The police investigation began on Oct. 7 when the woman who first discovered the suspected camera called police to ask if Makem had contacted them about the device as he had promised, and officers realized he had not.
The probe ultimately led to a search warrant to seize computers and other electronic devices used by Makem - including some owned by Foster's - from its Rochester bureau at Merchants Plaza.
Foster's Daily Democrat owns the Rochester Times.