Transgender woman arrested in Target after taking photos of teenage girl in dressing room

Police have arrested a transgender woman in a Target store in Idaho after she was caught taking photos of a female teenager trying on clothes in a dressing room.

A view of a Target store. | REUTERS/FRED THORNHILL

Shauna Patricia Smith, who is also known as Sean P. Smith, reportedly climbed to the top of the partition between the cubicles and took a photo of the teenager in the other cubicle with her cellphone.

The 43-year-old transgender woman was taken into police custody in Bonneville County Jail, registered under the name Sean Smith, according to Post Register.

Reports said that the victim noticed Smith, who was dressed as a woman, taking pictures of her using a cell phone.

She confronted Smith, who quickly left the store. The victim then reported Smith to the authorities.

"The woman was begging for help as she chased the man out the door. She kept saying she wanted those pictures deleted," a witness told East Idaho News.

Smith later confessed to taking similar photos in the past. Police are now investigating if similar instances have happened in the store.

Meanwhile, Target has attempted to re-assure the public that it would do everything it could to create a "safe and secure shopping environment," according to NBC affiliate KPVI.

The store has been overwhelmed by controversy regarding transgender rights since April when it announced it would open the women's bathrooms and dressing rooms to transgender people who were born the opposite sex.

To protect women and children from potential sexual predators, the American Family Association called for a boycott on all Target stores. The campaign has now gathered more than 1.3 million signatures.

In response to the recent voyeurism incident, evangelist Franklin Graham said Target is "putting their customers at risk" by allowing transgender persons to use the women's bathrooms and dressing rooms.

"Target is the one inviting sexual perverts into their stores," he said on a Facebook post. "Shame on Target, and shame on their CEO & Chairman of the Board Brian Cornell!"

He encouraged more people to join the boycott against Target for their transgender bathroom policy.