FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. — Three Flagler County men were arrested Tuesday after they indecently exposed themselves to deputies during an undercover sting operation at two different parks, said the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
"Our parks and trails are there for families and residents to enjoy. They should not expect to encounter deviant behavior when they are on a family outing," said Flagler County Sheriff Donald W. Fleming. "We will continue these operations for as long as it takes for the word to spread: Not in Flagler County."
Authorities said two of the men, Gary Thompson Jr., 43, and Arthur Bellany, 59, of Palm Coast, were arrested at Graham Swamp Preserve on Old Kings Road. They said the men engaged in conversation with undercover deputies that drifted to a sexual nature, and in the separate incidents, both men exposed themselves and began masturbating in front of the deputies.
The third man, 72-year-old Vernal Arnette III, from Flagler Beach, was arrested at Malacompra Park on Malacompra Road, deputies said. In that incident, undercover deputies said the man walked into the bathroom at the park, exposed himself to deputies and began masturbating.
The three men were charged with unnatural and lascivious acts and exposure of sexual organs.
Thompson Jr., Bellany and Anette III were released from the Flagler County Inmate Facility after posting $2,000 bail on the charges.
WFTV
