Volusia County, FL - Recently, the Volusia County Sheriff's Office launched a sting that ended in the arrest of eighteen people after claims that individuals were committing lewd acts in the County's parks.
Of those eighteen arrested was 75-year-old Robert Warner who was arrested at a park in Ormond Beach. After admitting to a stranger that he was there to hook-up with a man, he maintained that he was safe committing the act on the East side of the County because there were only arrests in the West.
The stranger, an undercover Volusia County Sheriff's deputy, told Warner to be careful. Warner then proceeded to expose himself under a picnic shelter and began to masturbate with the 'stranger' there. The undercover deputy immediately arrested Warner and charged him with indecent exposure and committing an unnatural and lascivious act.
(Robert Warner mugshot courtesy of Volusia County Corrections)
“These types of activities impact the quality of life of our citizens,” says Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood. “It’s important that we set the tone that our parks and trails are safe for families and children.” This arrest was a part of the week-long sting, Operation Park Hopper, which saw the arrests of eighteen for crimes similar to Warner's. It comes after the end of the school year where children are more present at County parks and after complaints from across the County of individuals committing lewd acts. According to the operation plan deputies wrote for the sting, “the possibility of such (lewd) acts occurring in the presence of a child will increase, requiring immediate attention and enforcement." Undercover deputies visited six parks in Volusia County to get an idea of what might happen. Men began to approach the deputies, first by making conversation and then by talking about sex and then committing sexual acts. One of the arrests was a man who did not even talk with the undercover deputy but was acknowledged by another park-goer for masturbating. By Friday night, the final day of the sting, there were eighteen total arrests of individuals, aged 28 to 78, at 6 different parks in Ormond Beach, Port Orange, New Smyrna Beach, Deltona and Deland. Charges ranged from indecent exposure to battery in the case of four individuals who touched the undercover deputies. Bernard Coker, 64, was arrested after touching the crotch of one of the undercover deputies and pulling the deputy towards himself by grabbing the deputy's arms. The deputy was forced to make an arrest immediately, which was usually delayed so a team of deputies could secure the arrest of an offender. Coker resisted arrest, adding an additional charge for himself.
(Bernard Coker mugshot courtesy of Volusia County Corrections)
“It’s disgraceful,” says Sheriff Chitwood. “There’s a bunch of dirty old men who their thrill is exposing themselves to other men in broad daylight, in the park. I don’t get it. But then again, I think most normal human beings would never get it.” The following are the defendants, locations of arrests and charges brought: Bicentennial Park, 1850 Ocean Shore Blvd., Ormond Beach
