Posted on 09/03/2009 12:49:01 PM PDT by Bodleian_Girl
DAYTONA BEACH -- The men's restroom on the second floor of the Volusia Mall Sears is no place for children, police said Wednesday with the release of surveillance photos of a man believed to have made sexual advances toward a 13-year-old boy.
"Our biggest fear is children going into these bathrooms, especially with these predators circling around," Police Chief Mike Chitwood said. "It was just a matter of time before something like this was going to happen."
The boy, visiting from Illinois with his godparents, was propositioned two weeks ago in the restroom, Chitwood said.
The man was in a stall and slid toilet paper through one of the cracks. Then he asked the boy a lewd question.
"I guess that's what they do now. It used to be tapping their foot," Chitwood said, making reference to a 2007 undercover sting inside the same restroom, in which nine men were arrested and accused of engaging in questionable behavior.
The boy rebuffed the suspect, a report states, and, when the youngster came out of the stall, the man was waiting for him near the urinal and repeated his lewd question. As the boy hurried to the door, the suspect exposed himself and "began rubbing himself."
This Sears restroom still appears on a Web site that exists for men to meet one another, Chitwood said.
"They advertise these bathrooms," the chief said. "A 13-year-old boy comes to our city, and this is what they are exposed to."
He said a number of the men arrested "in the Sears bathroom we all know so well," are from the west side of the state.
During the 2007 sting, some of the men were local, notably former Daytona Beach City Commissioner Mike Shallow.
Misdemeanor charges against Shallow, who was nabbed by Volusia County Beach Patrol Capt. Rich Gardner during the operation, were later dismissed by a judge. A county judge ruled that Gardner's peeking at Shallow through the stall was an "illegal search."
julie.murphy@news-jrnl.com
I don’t get it. Foot-tapping? Public restrooms? It’s like that case with congressman whatsizname, in an airport restroom. These places have a constant traffic of people through them. How could somebody think they’re not going to get caught... it’s a busy place fercryinoutloud!
At the very least, perhaps Sears should put a motion detector in the men’s room. When the sensor indicates that someone is there too long, then security can check it out.
Posting “No Loitering” signs could work too.
Maybe Sears should have a single key that they hand out to anyone who wants to go to the bathroom. That way, only one person is in bathroom at a time.
i live in volusia county and it is a big problem...we have a park on the water that tore down the multi bathrooms it had and built new ones that are individual rooms...now whenever you go there the bathrooms are all locked so no one can use them...all this due to the homosexual activity...
all charges were dropped against him if i recall correctly...
These predators are all over. I got a call from a YMCA camp my boys attended to say they learned one of the counselors was touching boys in the shower. Thankfully, my boys were not directly involved, but he was assigned to their cabin.
One of my sons is into body building, so he’s fit, and good looking to boot. Homos literally stalk him. He’s had to repeatedly report a couple of predatory gay men to the gym manager. The gym is in a very nice area, too. These guys were hitting on several young men, but only one was going after minors. Eventually, the manager got so many complaints from young men and parents that he kicked out one of the offenders.
Adults who proposition minors should be publicly caned.
I was chastised for overreacting when my then 12 yr. old son went into a restroom in Target and a man ran out grabbed a camera and headed back in laughing. I was watching, so I ran in, and demanded to know what he was doing with the camera, while my son was the only other person in the bathroom taking care of his business. There was not an answer, I reported it to management, my son was angry and embarrassed, I would do it again.
Department stores, libraries, and Home Depots seem to have this particular problem with their men's bathrooms, judging from arrests.
Calling Senator Craig and Vitter...two freaks who were probably at that Sears.
Can’t be. The Gaystapo say that homosexuals aren’t event attracted to heterosexual men.
During the 2007 sting, some of the men were local, notably former Daytona Beach City Commissioner Mike Shallow. Misdemeanor charges against Shallow, who was nabbed by Volusia County Beach Patrol Capt. Rich Gardner during the operation, were later dismissed by a judge. A county judge ruled that Gardner's peeking at Shallow through the stall was an "illegal search."
busy place = high turnover rate.
Posting “No Loitering” signs could work too
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Let’s see, they’re knowingly breaking the law with their pickups in public restrooms, but you think they might be dissuaded by a No Loitering sign?
Seems unlikely to me.
We had a Five Star “Notorious” Rest Room in our City Hall.
I was at a highway rest stop with my kids a few years ago. My son was about 13 or so and too old to come into the ladies room with my daughters and I so I sent him down the hallway towards the men’s room. I saw a guy come out of the men’s room, look my son up and down, do a U turn and follow him. I ran down the hallway and got right behind the guy and literally breathed down his neck! He did another U turn and left. He was practically running by the time he reached the door!
A rest stop on Interstate4 Just east of Tampa, Florida was shut dpwn for the same reason.
“Let’s see, they’re knowingly breaking the law with their pickups in public restrooms, but you think they might be dissuaded by a No Loitering sign?
Seems unlikely to me.”
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On second thought, I think you are right. Instead of “No Loitering” signs, Sears should simply post a map with directions to the nearest DNC or ACLU restroom. That should take care of the problem!
I remember one ingenious individual who business restroom was being used by sodomites, came up with a novel solution.
When the restroom was remodeled, he had spray nozzles installed in the walls, so to clean the restroom, an employee could just remove a drain cap, remove the toilet paper roll and paper towels, spray some strong cleaner on surfaces to be sanitized, then exit the restroom, and turn on the spray valve. Woosh!
It also worked well when the small security cam above the spray level saw one of the pervs hanging out in there. Woosh! Soaking wet, they would complain until the manager threatened to call the police on them, then they would take off.
It was worth it to replace the sodden roll of toilet paper.
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