Is Streaking A Crime?

You know that you have successfully attended an epic party when someone disrobes and runs across the lawn in his birthday suit.  Dropping your trousers and mooning the motorists who pass by your house is a juvenile prank, but full body nudity in full view of everyone present for as long as it takes to run to a new set of clothing is a genuine bid for notoriety.  Of course, once the police see you in your birthday suit, the party is over.  You could get criminal charges for indecent exposure; even though it is a misdemeanor charge, the consequences are far reaching if you get convicted.  Since most people do not get naked in public unless they are under the influence of substances, you might also get other criminal charges related to alcohol or drugs.  If a party got so out of hand that, by the time the police showed up, you did not have a stitch of clothing on, contact a Pittsburgh sex crime lawyer.

How Mischievous Do You Have to Be Before the Law Gets Involved?

Sex crimes carry a greater social stigma than most criminal offenses.  If you tell party guests that, when you were young, you spent a few months in jail for drunk driving, simple assault in the context of a barroom brawl, drug possession, or larceny, the guests will probably see the humor in the circumstances that led up to your arrest and then join you in laughing it off.  This is not the case for offenses such as buying or selling sexual favors, or worse, indecent assault or possession of child exploitative material.

Indecent exposure, defined as exposing one’s genitals in public, has more severe legal consequences than its level of social stigma might suggest.  You can get charges for indecent assault if you appear in public with your genitals uncovered, either because you are completely naked or by “flashing” other people.  This charge can also arise if you engage in consensual sexual activity in public, including in a public bathroom.  Indecent exposure is a second-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to two years in county jail.  By contrast, open lewdness is a third-degree misdemeanor; you can get this charge if you expose your breasts or buttocks but not your genitals.  A conviction for indecent exposure or open lewdness requires you to register as a sex offender.

In the News

In December 2024, Thomas Stedge was arrested at the Microtel in Athens Township.  When police found him, he was completely naked and visibly drunk.  Other guests had complained that Stedge was walking around naked.  According to the police report, he spit on the officer who arrested him.  Stedge, 27, is facing charges for indecent exposure, disorderly conduct, and public drunkenness.

Contact Gary E. Gerson About Criminal Defense Cases

A criminal defense lawyer can help you if you are facing criminal charges for indecent exposure or another misdemeanor sex offense.  Contact the law offices of Gary E. Gerson in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania about your case.

Source:

mytwintiers.com/crime/pennsylvania-man-arrested-after-allegedly-running-naked-throughout-hotel/