When a man was accused of masturbating in his vehicle in a local Circle K parking lot, he explained to the authorities that he did not think he was breaking the law for doing so.
On the evening of July 28, 22-year-old Steven Donovan reportedly clocked out from his job as a driver at Hungry Howie’s Pizza in Fruitland Park, Florida.
When he left his place of employment, Donovan reportedly got into his vehicle and went to the adjoining establishment; a Circle K convenience store.
After allegedly pulling into a parking spot next to another vehicle with a woman inside, Donovan reportedly stayed in his car while the woman went into the store.
The woman, who is a law enforcement officer that was not on shift at the time, came back to her car after making her purchases and noted that Donovan was still sitting in the driver’s seat of his vehicle.
The officer notified the Fruitland Park Police Department after she believed she saw Donovan with his pants undone and his privates in his hand while making movements with his arm that caused her to purport that he was engaging in sexual self-pleasure.
While issuing the report to the local police, the woman also gave the license plate number that she jotted down while in the parking lot with Donovan.
When the police reviewed the surveillance videos from the Circle K’s cameras, they reported that they saw the vehicle they believed the officer had reported.
It was further reported that the recordings show a man in a dark hood purported to be Donovan sitting in the car that was reported to them.
According to the affidavit, the police noted that several minutes of the surveillance video was missing because it was controlled by a motion sensor.
Since Donovan was no longer at the Circle K, the authorities tracked down his address and approached him at home.
The police talked with Donovan about the alleged incident, and as soon as he confirmed that he was at the location getting something to drink after work he was handcuffed and put into a police car. The man additionally allegedly said he didn’t think it was against the law to masturbate in his car.
Donovan’s girlfriend was also present during the interaction between Donovan and the police, and she was permitted to speak with him while he was in the police vehicle since she was the owner of the car that was allegedly used in the incident.
When trying to explain the situation to his girlfriend, the police reported that Donovan admitted that he gave in to his sexual urges and used porn while in the car to take care of himself.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a sexual offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.