Six women sue Mandeville Crunch Fitness after alleged hidden tanning bed videos
A former Crunch Fitness employee, Nathan Volz, is facing video voyeurism charges after his arrest in June
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Updated: 12:41 PM CDT Aug 5, 2026Editorial Standards ⓘ
Erin Lowrey
Six women sue Mandeville Crunch Fitness after alleged hidden tanning bed videos
A former Crunch Fitness employee, Nathan Volz, is facing video voyeurism charges after his arrest in June
Updated: 12:41 PM CDT Aug 5, 2026Editorial Standards ⓘ
Erin Lowrey
New court records show six women have filed a proposed class action lawsuit against a gym in Mandeville after an employee was accused of secretly recording them inside the facility’s tanning booths
A former Crunch Fitness employee, Nathan Volz, is facing video voyeurism charges after his arrest in June
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The women are alleging that Crunch Fitness failed to protect its members when it failed to bar employees from carrying personal devices into tanning rooms
The suit also alleges Crunch Fitness did not properly train its employees
According to the attorney overseeing the class action suit, investigators say at least 10 women have been identified as victims so far, with the total potentially reaching into the dozens as the investigation continues
The complaint alleges Crunch never notified its members after learning of Volz’s arrest
All six plaintiffs, women who had been members for months or years and used the tanning services regularly, say they only found out through news reports and social media, not from the gym itself, according to a release issued by the attorney over the class action lawsuit
About the investigation:
Police said the investigation began after a woman reported seeing Volz recording her while she was lying inside a tanning bed. Investigators said Volz was reportedly in a neighboring room and reached his phone over a dividing wall to record her
Volz reportedly worked at the Mandeville Crunch Fitness at the time of the alleged incident
Mandeville police said suspicious videos recovered from Volz’s phone date back to March. More than 10 potential victims have been identified, but investigators believe the final number could be between 20 and 25
Attorney Chelsea Dazet said she is representing multiple women connected to the investigation and continues to receive calls from people concerned they may have been recorded
“What if it’s your daughter? What if it’s your niece, your grandchild, your godchild?” Dazet said. “How would you feel then if this happened to them?”
Dazet said one alleged victim contacted her after being identified through the Mandeville Police Department’s investigation
She said the process has been deeply disturbing for women who believed they were inside a private space
“When you enter a private room, you take your clothes off to tan,” Dazet said. “You never expect that. There is an expectation of privacy there.”
Dazet said the calls are coming from gym members, parents and others who are trying to determine whether they or someone they know could be among the alleged victims
“The calls are all over the place, and everybody wants to know, are they a victim?” Dazet said
She said some mothers have contacted her on behalf of their daughters
Dazet is encouraging anyone who used the tanning rooms at the Mandeville Crunch Fitness between March and June to contact the Mandeville Police Department and schedule a time to determine whether they appear in any of the recovered footage
“You need to reach out to Mandeville Police Department,” Dazet said. “Go in and spend the time to see if you’re one of those ladies.”
Dazet said identifying additional victims could lead to more criminal charges
“As they identify the victims, more criminal charges are going to follow,” Dazet said. “It’s very, very important that everybody who believes they may be a victim come forward so we can pursue this to the fullest.”
Dazet also questioned why members were not directly notified about the investigation
“Anything you find out secondhand that you should be informed of personally is a level of insult to injury,” she said
WDSU reached out to Crunch Fitness to ask when the company first learned about the allegations, whether members were notified, when Volz’s employment ended and what security changes have been made inside the tanning area
WDSU is awaiting a response
Dazet said she believes the investigation could lead to broader changes in how fitness clubs protect customers who use private tanning rooms
“This is important on a national level because I think it can set some precedent for other fitness clubs as to what they need to be doing to protect their patrons,” she said
She said possible changes could include stronger employee training, additional oversight and different construction standards for tanning rooms
Dazet noted that walls in some commercial buildings do not extend fully from the floor to the ceiling, which police said was a factor in how the alleged recording occurred
She said fitness clubs should consider “better construction models for privacy.”
Court records show a judge set Volz’s bond at $20,000
A commercial bail bond company posted the bond, and the paperwork shows it was accepted July 1. Volz has since been released
The bond conditions require him to appear in court when ordered, remain out of criminal trouble and not leave Louisiana without the court’s permission. The paperwork also says he cannot purchase or possess firearms while released
Volz is scheduled to return to court Aug. 27 at 8:30 a.m. in Covington
Anyone who used the tanning facilities at Mandeville Crunch Fitness between March and June and believes they may have been recorded is encouraged to contact the Mandeville Police Department
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