Police say the Oct. 22 incident was caught by store surveillance; officers seized multiple devices at a Detroit home.
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. — A 45-year-old Detroit man has been charged after police say he used a cellphone to photograph a 9-year-old inside a restroom stall at a Michaels arts and crafts store on Oct. 22 in Southfield, and was arrested during a Monday raid at his home.
Southfield police named the suspect as Dale Frye of Detroit and said he is charged with capturing or distributing images of an unclothed person and using a computer to commit a crime. A judge set bond at $30,000 cash or surety at an arraignment held Tuesday. Investigators said Frye was taken into custody at a home on Northlawn Street in Detroit a day earlier, following a four-week investigation that included store video review and other investigative tools. The case has stirred concern among families and prompted a rare public briefing by Southfield’s police chief, who praised the child and her mother for quick reporting and cooperation.
Police said the girl and her mother had stopped at the Michaels at 28550 Telegraph Road, near 12 Mile, around 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 22. They went into separate stalls in the two-stall women’s restroom when a hand holding a cellphone appeared over the partition above the child, according to investigators. The girl shouted for her mother and the person left the restroom and the store. Security video showed a man entering at 7:36 p.m. and leaving at 7:41 p.m., police said. “A suspect entered a women’s bathroom, placed his phone over the stall and took images of a 9-year-old child,” Southfield Police Chief Elvin Barren said. Body camera video later released by the department shows officers arresting Frye at the Detroit address without incident.
During a search warrant at the home, detectives seized nine cellphones, two computers and several firearms, police said. Investigators emphasized that the devices were collected for forensic review to determine whether the restroom images were saved or shared and to check for any other illegal material. The department said it used facial recognition as one investigative lead after releasing a still image from store surveillance to the public. At Tuesday’s briefing, Barren stood alongside the girl and her mother, whose identities are being withheld due to the child’s age. “This 9-year-old was paying attention and she wanted justice for what occurred to her,” Barren said. The child spoke briefly and said she was relieved after learning an arrest had been made. The mother thanked detectives and said they reported the incident immediately after leaving the restroom.
The incident drew attention in part because it happened in a busy shopping corridor and inside a national craft chain where families often visit. Police stressed there is no evidence of any broader threat inside the store and said Michaels staff cooperated fully with the investigation, helping recover video and timelines. According to police, the restroom where the encounter occurred has two stalls and is located off the sales floor; officers photographed the interior and measured partition heights as part of reconstructing what happened. Detectives said no other victims had come forward as of Tuesday, and it remains unknown whether any images from the store were retained on a device. The store remained open after the incident, and managers referred questions to the company’s corporate office.
Frye appeared by video for arraignment on Tuesday and entered a not-guilty plea to both counts, according to court records read aloud in court. The capturing/distributing images charge is a felony; using a computer to commit a crime enhances potential penalties tied to the underlying offense. A magistrate set bond at $30,000 cash or surety with conditions that include no contact with the victim, no unsupervised contact with minors and no possession of devices that can access the internet except for court-approved purposes, according to the court proceeding. A probable cause conference was set for Dec. 8, and a preliminary examination is expected to follow if the case advances. Police said digital forensics on the seized phones and computers is underway and results will be sent to prosecutors as supplemental reports. Additional charges could be considered if new evidence is found, authorities said.
At police headquarters, Barren described a step-by-step timeline that began when the mother called for help from the store. Officers took statements, secured the restroom area and canvassed for witnesses before retrieving video that showed a man entering and leaving within five minutes. Detectives later obtained still images and circulated them internally while technicians extracted timestamps from purchase systems to match traffic in and out of the building. After identifying a person of interest, officers obtained a search warrant signed by an Oakland County judge and executed it at the Northlawn Street home on Monday. Video released by the department shows officers knocking, announcing and then detaining a man at the door. “We told that nine-year-old we would find the person responsible, and we did,” Barren said at the briefing.
Neighbors on Northlawn described a quiet morning turning tense as patrol cars arrived. One resident said officers remained at the home for hours while detectives cataloged evidence and loaded paper bags and boxes into vehicles. In Southfield, shoppers arriving at the Michaels store the next day said they were surprised at how quickly police publicized the case. A company employee, who declined to be named, said workers were aware of the investigation but had not been told to change any restroom access procedures. The mother said she wanted people to know her daughter reacted quickly. “You always think you’re doing all you can to protect your kids and something so out of the ordinary happens,” she said. The girl, standing a few feet away, said softly, “I feel happy that they caught him.”
As of late Tuesday, Frye remained free on bond with a court date set for Dec. 8 in Oakland County’s 46th District Court. Detectives continued forensic work on the nine phones and two computers seized during the search. Police said they are reviewing whether any other reports may be connected but have announced no additional cases. The department plans to release an update when lab results are returned or if prosecutors file amended charges.
Author note: Last updated November 30, 2025.