SMITHFIELD - Police obtained a search warrant Monday for the videotapes of a retired pharmacist charged over the weekend with using a camcorder to watch his next-door neighbor undress for bed, authorities reported.

Ben Earl Pell, 58, of 103 E. Stevens St. in Smithfield, has been charged with one felony count of secret peeping, Smithfield Police Chief Steve Gillikin said Monday.

Pell is a retired pharmacist who still works part time at Johnston Memorial Hospital, Gillikin said.

The incident occurred at 10:30 p.m. Saturday, police reported.

Gillikin said the victim, a 49-year-old woman, told police she was getting undressed for bed when she looked out her window and saw a silhouette. The woman's dog was "going crazy," barking at the window, the chief said.

Police who responded to the woman's 911 call parked their patrol car several blocks away and, as they approached the home on foot, saw a man with a camera coming from the rear of the residence, the chief said.

"He pretty much got caught red-handed," Gillikin said.

Pell was released from custody at the Johnston County jail Saturday night after posting a $25,000 bond. Gillikin said the investigation is still in progress.

"Once we view the videotapes, we will decide if more charges are appropriate," he said.

Efforts to reach Pell for comment Monday afternoon were unsuccessful.

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