GAINESVILLE, FL (352today.com) – The Gainesville Police Department (GPD) arrested a man they say masturbated in front of children at a local store.
Police say 57-year-old Stephen Gray Padgett entered Target on December 20 and followed three young girls around the store. GPD says the girls who ranged in age from 5 to 7 years old were with their parents.
GPD says Padgett was caught on camera ‘repeatedly’ trying to get the attention of the girls. They say when the girls would look at him, Padgett would expose his penis and ‘masturbate’ without the parents knowing what he was doing.
In one instance, the police department says he circled one of the little girls for nearly 9 minutes. Once he got her attention, they say he masturbated for about three minutes before the child left with her parent.
Due to the circumstances, investigators believe there could be more victims. They are asking anyone who may have witnessed this or any other instances, to contact the police department at 352-393-7500.
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Officers arrested Padgett on Tuesday on charges of lewd or lascivious offenses committed upon or in the presence of a person less than 16 years old. He is being held at the Alachua County Jail on a $900,000 bond.
According to Alachua County Court Records, on July 17, 2002, Padgett was arrested and charged with child abuse and lewd and lascivious exhibition. For the child abuse charge, he plead no contest, and for his lewd and lascivious charge no action was taken. Court records show on July 31, 2007, the lewd and lascivious charge was refiled, but was eventually disposed due to his ‘no contest plea’ for the child abuse charge.