Rumor has it Corporal Keith (Long) of the Hawkins County Sheriff’s Department was dispatched to the Holston River early yesterday morning to reel in some skinny dippers.
Apparently, the naked folks were shocking the fishermen – and given the early morning hour, the Sheriff’s Department likely thought it wise to eradicate all unlawful nudity before the schools buses started rolling by.
So, Deputy Keith allegedly gave the folks a warning – which means he yelled at them to put their clothes on. Then, he went on his merry way.
Swinging back by the Hugh B. Day bridge a few minutes later, he spotted a naked fellow still wandering about aimlessly. According to the reports, the fellow was hard to reason with – not because he was slippery when wet – but because he appeared to be under the influence.
So, the skinny dipper was arrested and charged with P.I. and indecent exposure. You know, I really must start paying more attention on the way to school – because I missed the whole thing.
(UPDATED: Heh. Apparently, there’s some truth to the rumors. Corporal Keith and the bad guy in the birthday suit made the papers.)
It may have been exposure, but it doesn’t sound like indecent exposure to me. Oh, sorry I forgot, this took place in the USA. Funny folks that side of the Atlantic.
Oh interesting comment Malcolm. So I had to look it up. Turns out that in most states you have to have an intention to shock or offend others, which is not the case of skinny dipping.
But not in Tennessee. It’s enough to be naked at all:
TSA 39-13-511. Public indecency – Indecent exposure
http://www.nac.oshkosh.net/StatesFrames/State_Laws_Frames/Tennessee_Laws/body_tennessee_laws.html
Not only that, but if you are in public with ‘turgid genitals’ that are COVERED, that’s indecent exposure as well! This means a man can be arrested if his is fully clothed and has a noticeable erection within his trousers.
Crazy.
Correction: the crime is public indecency. Indecent exposure, defined further along, requires intent to offend.
Oddly, public indecency is a more serious crime (class A misdemeanor) than indecent exposure (class E).