A man accused of peeping in the windows of St. Thomas students who live off campus has pleaded not guilty to one felony count of surreptitious interference with privacy.

John David Searle appeared in court Monday and entered a plea of not guilty. Searle was arrested in early September after two female St. Thomas students saw a man loitering near their home and called the police. The students also provided a description of the car the man was driving.

Searle’s jury trial is scheduled for Nov. 30.

After the students made the report, undercover police officers saturated the neighborhood, according to authorities. Officers spotted a parked BMW. A man matching Searle’s description was seen walking up to windows, holding what police thought was a cell phone or video camera. Eventually, Searle was arrested.

According to the complaint investigating officers found small holes in window screens in one home occupied by three young women.

Searle has an extensive criminal history, including four prior gross misdemeanor or misdemeanor convictions for interference with privacy, dating back to 1995.

Grace Pastoor can be reached at past6138@stthomas.edu