A Wilton man accused of videotaping encounters with women had his charges dismissed, fueling a debate about the existing law and what it means to be in “plain view.”

John Panek was charged in 2011 with three counts of voyeurism with malice after his girlfriend at the time complained that she caught him filming a sexual encounter between them on his iPhone. He also admitted to filming two other women, without their knowledge. He told police the films and photos were for his own use.