The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
A registered sex offender from Decatur reportedly engaged police in a foot chase around a Walmart Garden center after allegedly inappropriately touching two customers and secretly taking upskirt pictures of others.
On June 8, a man visited a Walmart in Gwinnett and was allegedly seen touching a young girl’s buttocks. Employees tried to find him, but the man left the premises before he was located.
The following day, a man believed to be the one who touched the girl came back into the store. As soon as they saw him, employees called the authorities to report the situation.
According to reports, the suspect walked up and down the aisles and sneakily slid his cell phone under the skirts of women shoppers. He allegedly snapped photos of their private parts while they were unaware. The man also allegedly touched the buttocks of two girls, ages 11 and 16.
Officers arrived and worked with the store security guards to try to find and detain the suspect. After trailing him around the store for a short time, they were able to block him off in the garden center, but he reportedly continued trying to run away while the officers ordered him to stop. He was eventually intercepted and handcuffed.
The 33-year-old man, who has been a registered sex offender since 2020, was placed under arrest and booked into the Gwinnett County Jail. He is facing charges of three misdemeanor counts of willful obstruction of law enforcement officers, and one misdemeanor count each of sexual battery, felony tampering with evidence, felony invasion of privacy, and felony sexual battery against a child under the age of 16. He is currently being held without bond.
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.