An ongoing sting on a southwest Florida beach continues to net arrests for the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office.
Numerous complaints about inappropriate behavior at Caspersen Beach prompted the undercover sting, which has been ongoing for nearly a year. A similar sting was conducted in late 2010, which resulted in the arrest of five men.
â┚¬Å”We do monitor actions on that beach and have found that citizens' concerns were valid,â┚¬Â said a spokeswoman with the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office. â┚¬Å”No one part of the community is being targeted. We're just preventing inappropriate behavior.â┚¬ÂÂ
According to a report in the Sarasota Herald Tribune, concerns were heightened in November 2010 when a woman fishing with her family complained about nudists on the beach. Others see the secluded beach as an area to enjoy nature and escape the eyes of friends, family and coworkers.
However, with the increased law enforcement crackdown on Caspersen, the area is getting a different kind of reputation. Caspersen is technically within the city limits of Venice, but Venice Police and the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office have deliberated over which agency is technically responsible for patrolling the area.
Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Wendy Rose said the agency has an agreement with Venice to monitor the area, while the Venice police refer calls to the Sheriff’s Office.
According to reports, a man was arrested earlier this month after he approached an officer in plainclothes and grabbed the officer â┚¬Å”inappropriatelyâ┚¬Â and exposed himself while offering oral sex. The person was charged with exposing his sexual organs and battery. After Watermark covered the late 2010 sting, the paper adjusted its policy is not to publish names of those arrested in victimless crimes. Several media outlets throughout the west coast of Florida identified the man arrested and included his profession along with his mug shot.
In that instance, investigators say the men, most of whom were over the age of 60, were charged with various offenses ranging from exposure of sexual organs to simple battery. Investigators say some of the men were caught having oral sex with other men.
Other suspects reportedly propositioned an undercover Sheriff’s deputy for oral sex. Reports state that one suspect repeatedly touched the undercover officer’s genitals and after his arrest told the deputy “I didn’t touch you, I fell.”
