8 Men Arrested By VCSO For Sex Acts In Public Parks

Daytona Beach, FL - Eight men have been arrested by the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office for exposing themselves in public and engaging in various sex acts at public parks. It comes after a two-day undercover operation which concluded yesterday at the Doris Leeper Spruce Creek Preserve and Sleepy Hollow Park, both of which are along U.S. 1 between Port Orange and New Smyrna Beach. At least one of the arrested - 80-year-old John O. Clarke of South Daytona - claims to be a retired New York City police officer and another - 68-year-old Paige Blakely of New Smyrna Beach - is a retired Catholic priest who used to be affiliated with a church in DeBary, according to Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood.

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According to Blakely's arrest report, he was arrested in 2011 for a similar incident. The operation was conducted after VCSO received complaints from park users about people doing sex acts in public back in May, prompting deputies to install still cameras around the park the following month. Hundreds of incriminating photos soon followed, with around 50 different people discovered in those photos, according to VCSO spokesperson Laura Williams. "We are in the process of identifying these individuals for potential charges and trespass warnings," Williams noted. Chitwood mentioned in the press conference that undercover deputies who walked through the park were propositioned, usually in the park bathrooms or along public trails. He also called it unlikely that charges would be filed on the others caught on camera, mostly because the camera shots weren't clear enough in some cases to fully identify them. Photos of the eight men are posted below, with their names, ages and cities of residence under that.

Michael D. Frizzell (40, Edgewater)

Darrin F. Brady (54, DeLand)

John O. Clarke (80, South Daytona)

Randy L. Howell (56, New Smyrna Beach)

Jonathan W. Buchanan (51, New Smyrna Beach)

George N. Stoeckle (47, Port Orange)

Jon S. Robertson (74, Pineville NC - will turn 75 on August 25th)

Paige Blakely (68, New Smyrna Beach)

All except Clarke were charged with indecent exposure. He was charged with an unnatural and lascivious act. Brady was the only one charged with both. As of this afternoon (August 24th), Clarke remains at Volusia County Jail on $500 bond. The rest have since posted bond and left VCJ.