A Schuylkill County man is facing an open lewdness charge after a resident alleged he masturbated on her front porch after she’d offered him shelter there from heavy rain.
Derek Knight, 33, of Pottsville, is charge with a third-degree misdemeanor count of open lewdness.
Police say they were contacted by a woman on Aug. 14, a few days after she’d invited Knight to sit on her W. Norwegian St. porch to wait out a storm. At approximately 10:30 that night, the woman checked outside after hearing her dog bark and reported seeing Knight masturbating on her porch.
Police say the porch is visible to anyone on the street. The resident, who reported feeling shocked and alarmed by the behavior, provided police with a video recording of the incident. The video reportedly shows Knight with his hand in his pants and rapid movement in that area.
When questioned by police on Aug. 16, Knight admitted to being on the porch but said he was sleeping.
A preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge James Reiley is scheduled for Oct. 5.
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