The Gainesville Police Department arrested a 57-year-old man Tuesday, on suspicion of masturbating in front of children at a local Target store.
Stephen Gray Padgett is facing a felony charge of lewd or lascivious behavior in the presence of persons less than 16 years of age. Padgett is currently held at the Alachua County Jail on a $900,000 bond.
Padgett entered a Target Dec. 20 and was seen on security footage following three girls between the ages of five and seven, according to a GPD news release. All three children were accompanied by their parents.
Unknown to their parents at the time, Padgett would attempt to get the girls’ attention, expose himself and masturbate when they looked at him.
Padgett circled one girl for around nine minutes while trying to get her attention, and masturbated for three minutes while she looked his way.
The girl eventually left the area with a parent, according to a news release.
A local judge issued an arrest warrant Tuesday, and Padgett was arrested later that day with assistance from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, according to court records.
Padgett’s arraignment occurred Wednesday, but court documents haven’t been released as of Wednesday afternoon.
The second-degree felony charge Padgett is facing carries a potential 15-year prison sentence and a $10,000 fine if convicted.
GPD believes more victims may have been affected by Padgett’s actions. Anyone with information can contact the police department at (352) 393-7500.
Contact Daniel Bednar at dbednar@alligator.org. Follow him on Twitter @Danielbednar5.
Daniel Bednar is a first-year political science major and the Criminal Justice reporter for The Alligator. When he's not writing, you can find him scuba diving in the Keys or flying airplanes.
