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By Mike Barnhardt

Enterprise Record

The bond for a Mocksville restaurant accused of taking secret images of women and girls in the restaurant has been raised from $500,000 to $1 million.

Luigi Carciati, 47, of Whitney Road, Mocksville, was charged Wednesday, Oct. 11 with 10 counts of felony secret peeping, 10 counts of second-degree exploitation of a minor, and 10 counts of third-degree exploitation of a minor. He was taken into custody in lieu of a $1 million bond, and is being held in the Davie Detention Center as of Monday morning. Davie Sheriff J.D. Hartman said the investigation will likely take quite a while, and more charges could be filed later.

Hartman said a search is on to identify and find any of the victims that appear on videos. Many potential victims had called the sheriff’s office prior to Monday afternoon.

“Due to the nature of the investigation, and the fact that juveniles are involved, there will not be any additional information released,” he said.

Those who may have any information are asked to call Detective Sgt. C. Bolin with the criminal investigation division at 336-936-2985, or at sheriff@dcsonc.com.

The sheriff’s office had received multiple tips through the State Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, enough to obtain a search warrant for Carciati’s residence. Along with an agent with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, they seized four digital devices during that search related to the tips received, Hartman said.

They also got enough evidence to search Carciati’s restaurant, La Vita E Bella on Gaither Street, where a concealed camera was found in the women’s bathroom. Hartman did not say where the camera was located, or how many women and children appear on the found images.