Cottonwood Man Wanted For Numerous Voyeurism And Drug Charges Is Day One Of “Catch 22”

A Cottonwood man, facing life in prison, is Day One of Yavapai Silent Witness’ “Catch 22” program. Officials say 52-year-old Joel Frederick Deems failed to appear for his trail and is currently missing. The case stems from a report by the victim’s parents to Clarkdale Police in December of 2016, after they found hidden cameras in their children’s bathroom. Deems had been renting a room from the parents for six months. Two cameras were found in a bathroom, disguised as a mirror and some artwork. The artwork was put there by Deems. Another camera was directed toward the toilet and the other towards the shower. The cameras were connected to cables that led to his bedroom, then to his van parked outside the home. During a search warrant of Deems’ van, police found two pairs of children’s underwear and two jars of Vaseline, one mostly empty. Police also found clothing that appeared to be for a young child, stuffed with carpet padding and a hole cut into the crotch of the pants. Police also seized Deems’ cell phone and laptop. A subsequent forensic examination revealed numerous sexually exploitive images of children less than 15 years of age. Deems is facing a minimum of 100 years in prison. Deems is a white male, five-foot-eleven inches tall, around 185 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes. A reward of up to $1,000 is available for information leading to his arrest. If you see him, or know of his whereabouts, contact your local law enforcement agency, or Yavapai Silent Witness at 1-800-932-3232 or send a tip online at yavapaisw.com.