Forty men arrested for gay park sex.

ArcturusMengsk · Post by **ArcturusMengsk** » 2007-10-10 08:50am

A week old, but amusing nonetheless.

Source

Forty Men Arrested for Having Sex in Tennessee Public Parks

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. — An undercover investigation into public sex in Johnson City parks has led to the arrest of 40 men in two weeks.

"Our parks are for family use. People should not be exposed to this while they are out there with their family or trying to enjoy the walking trails," Johnson City Police Chief John Lowry said. "They are not built nor maintained for sexual activity, be it homosexual activity or heterosexual activity."

The investigation in the Winged Deer and Buffalo Mountain parks began after police received complaints from the public.

"Part of this took place off the paved trails. There's a thing out there (at Winged Deer Park) they've evidently termed the 'Man Cave'," Lowry said. "It's a good way off the paved trail. It's underbrush that's grown up and resembles a cave."

As part of the investigation, undercover officers would strike up conversations with men approaching a trail leading to the Man Cave. Some of those conversations led to proposals for sex and several men exposed themselves or groped the officers, police said.

The suspects from Tennessee, Virginia and North Carolina ranged in age from 26 to 85.

According to the Johnson City Press, the suspects included a school teacher and a pastor.

Where can I sign up?

ArcturusMengsk · Post by **ArcturusMengsk** » 2007-10-10 08:53am

Ghetto edit: Apparently you can view a photo gallery of the offenders here. I'm having no luck identifying the minister said to be involved.

Gil Hamilton · Post by **Gil Hamilton** » 2007-10-10 08:59am

I had a very Clerksian moment here when my first through on reading the title of "Forty men arrested for gay park sex" was "...at once?"

It almost sounded like there was a big gay pile up in that park ALA South Park when they were trying to make the immigrants from the future not exist.

Post by **fgalkin** » 2007-10-10 09:31am

Now, the real question is: Were any of them Senators?

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

Jawawithagun · Post by **Jawawithagun** » 2007-10-10 10:31am

fgalkin wrote:Now, the real question is: Were any of them Senators?

With the youngest there being 26 already, unlikely

CaptainChewbacca · Post by **CaptainChewbacca** » 2007-10-10 11:10am

Gil Hamilton wrote:I had a very Clerksian moment here when my first through on reading the title of "Forty men arrested for gay park sex" was "...at once?"

It almost sounded like there was a big gay pile up in that park ALA South Park when they were trying to make the immigrants from the future not exist.

I had the exact same question.

Sidewinder · Post by **Sidewinder** » 2007-10-10 12:17pm

I'm shocked at the stupidity of the men involved. What, no offer of a ride to someplace appropriate for sexual activity, e.g., a man's apartment or a motel, and just stripping in a damn public park?

Kanastrous · Post by **Kanastrous** » 2007-10-10 12:22pm

I think some people get off on the outdoorsey-ness. And the risk of getting caught.

I've had girlfriends like that.

Pint0 Xtreme · Post by **Pint0 Xtreme** » 2007-10-10 12:59pm

Sidewinder wrote:I'm shocked at the stupidity of the men involved. What, no offer of a ride to someplace appropriate for sexual activity, e.g., a man's apartment or a motel, and just stripping in a damn public park?

What? You've never had sex outdoors before? You should try it sometime.

Kanastrous · Post by **Kanastrous** » 2007-10-10 01:00pm

Second that.

Korvan · Post by **Korvan** » 2007-10-10 01:39pm

As this is Tennessee and taking a look at those pictures, I'd be willing be bet that not a lot of those guys (if any) are openly gay. These clandestine sex spots only seem to happen in places where gays are heavily repressed.

The publishing of those pictures makes me suspect that this was less about public decency and more about outing gays hidden in their midst.

Illuminatus Primus · Post by **Illuminatus Primus** » 2007-10-10 01:46pm

I don't think people should be having sex outside in public, but the photo publishing makes the intent quite sinister and obvious.

Metatwaddle · Post by **Metatwaddle** » 2007-10-10 01:59pm

Gil Hamilton wrote:I had a very Clerksian moment here when my first through on reading the title of "Forty men arrested for gay park sex" was "...at once?"

HA! Me too.

Not that this isn't breaking the law and indecent exposure and all, but the publishing of photos makes me very uneasy about this. They're literally trying to out people here. I thought maybe this story would be free of homophobic trappings, but alas, it's not.

Also, I like how the police chief says people shouldn't be exposed to this sort of thing while walking with their families, but the police had to do an undercover investigation to figure out that it was even going on in the first place. Still, if they were receiving complaints from parkgoers, I guess the men were actually bothering people.

Starglider · Post by **Starglider** » 2007-10-10 05:52pm

Outdoors sex is fun but the correct location for it is an untouched glade (ideally mossy and next to a stream) half an hour's hike from the nearest trail in a national park, not just off a path in an urban park.

Col. Crackpot · Post by **Col. Crackpot** » 2007-10-13 10:44am

I like to take my kids on a walk though the park without having to watch people of any sexual orientation fuck. Get a room... or find somewhere deserted at the very least.

Justforfun000 · Post by **Justforfun000** » 2007-10-13 11:09am

Also, I like how the police chief says people shouldn't be exposed to this sort of thing while walking with their families, but the police had to do an undercover investigation to figure out that it was even going on in the first place. Still, if they were receiving complaints from parkgoers, I guess the men were actually bothering people.

Actually I had the same thought myself. Cruising for sex in parks has been going on for a VERY long time and it tends to be an activity sought out by people wanting to be anonymous. Ironic considering it's "public", but you'll find many people who wouldn't be caught dead in a gay bar, but will feel safe cruising that way.

I'm of mixed feeling on this. The one part of me feels like another poster above that this is more of a morality crusade then a normal police activity. Undercover and literally baiting these people? It's just so they could round up the lot of them and publish their names and faces. And quite frankly, if they were being relatively circumspect by being off in a cave far from the actual paved portions where families would be walking, is that not remote enough to be considered "private" for a time? Not legally of course, but I'm playing devils advocate here for the sake of the main argument that it was really to protect "families".

On the other hand, it IS an illegal activity, whether that's right or wrong is irrelevant since by the public standards of today public sex is generally considered "wrong". So you takes your chances, and they did and were nailed. The best they could do in this circumstance I guess is to hold their head up and say society pressured them into seeking this kind of anonymous sex release, and it's their fault all gay people are not "out" in the first place.

Plekhanov · Post by **Plekhanov** » 2007-10-13 11:10am

Korvan wrote:As this is Tennessee and taking a look at those pictures, I'd be willing be bet that not a lot of those guys (if any) are openly gay. These clandestine sex spots only seem to happen in places where gays are heavily repressed.

Not sure about that, one of the forests that I used to go biking in was a popular spot for cottaging and whilst my home town was too small to have a dedicated gay bar there were gay nights and the nearest city (only 30 min away on the bus) had gay bars and clubs.

That said most of the guys walking slowly round on their own seemed to be pretty old so they may well have been from a generation before people could easily be out.

Justforfun000 · Post by **Justforfun000** » 2007-10-13 11:12am

Plekhanov Wrote:

Not sure about that, one of the forests that I used to go biking in was a popular spot for cottaging and whilst my home town was too small to have a dedicated gay bar there were gay nights and the nearest city (only 30 min away on the bus) had gay bars and clubs.

Would you believe I had to look up the word cottaging? I have never heard it before. lol.