[Narz]

[url=http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=4022717&page=1]
Full story[/url]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'R')obin Garrison, an off-duty 42-year-old firefighter, was walking in Berliner Park in Columbus, Ohio, in May when he saw a woman sunbathing topless under a tree.

He approached her and they started talking and getting comfortable, the woman smiling and resting her foot on his shoulder at one point.

Eventually, she asked to see Garrison's penis; he unzipped his pants and complied.

Seconds later, undercover police officers pulled up in a van and arrested Garrison; he was later charged with public indecency, a misdemeanor, based on video footage taken by cops who were targeting men having sex or masturbating in the park. While topless sunbathing is legal in the city's parks, exposing more than that is against the law.

The case is just one of the more extreme examples of police stings aimed at luring people into committing crimes, a tactic that has resulted in hundreds of arrests, many convictions and plenty of controversy.

Law enforcement officials say that such sting operations are an extremely effective means of lowering crime rates and stopping the criminally minded before they commit worse offenses.

...

But such operations veer dangerously close to entrapment, say lawyers, civil libertarians and defendants who've been caught in sting operations.

At Garrison's trial, his attorney argued that it was a case of entrapment. "Columbus police utilized this topless woman to snare this man," said Sam Shamansky. "He sees her day after day. He's not some seedy pervert."

The argument failed to sway a Franklin County Municipal Court jury that found Garrison guilty of public indecency last month.

...

[Kingcoal]

I'm not a lawyer, but I do recall something about law enforcement personnel not being allowed to engage in criminal acts in order to facility arrest. Here, it sounds like the officer was engaged in indecent exposure herself.

[Stratovarius]

"Sir, I demand to see your penis otherwise I'm going to have to arrest you!"

I'm sure I would have kept my junk in my pants if I heard that.

Coincidentally I saw another Dateline episode last night where they lure child predators. Very stupid. You put candy in front of the baby then slap their hand. This isn't deterring people, it's just creating them.

[jasonraymondson]

I am sorry, but that is entrapment. You have a good looking topless women ask to see a dudes penis, unless the fucker is gayer than richard simmons he is going to comply.

The cop asked to see his penis, that is the fact of the case. By asking to see something that he would not have displayed otherwise was meant to trap him and cause him to commit a "supposed crime" that he would not have otherwise done.

[dinopello]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Kingcoal', 'I')'m not a lawyer, but I do recall something about law enforcement personnel not being allowed to engage in criminal acts in order to facility arrest. Here, it sounds like the officer was engaged in indecent exposure herself.

[eastbay]

Not just a topless woman... a topless 'cop!

That's just downright mean spirited to nail people like that. Good looking topless woman ... 'hey guy... wanna sit by me and chat a bit?' I mean, who's going to say, 'no?'

Now he probably gets to register for life. Too bad. Hope he appeals.

[Cloud9]

Trust no one!

[eastbay]

.... just watched the video... heh... the topless pretty young cop was wrapping her legs around this poor guy... I can't believe a jury would convict on this. There must be more to the story.

[mmasters]

Bah that's a bad deal there.

[emersonbiggins]

Notice also that the ABC reporter does your thinking for you in the headline by labeling the criminals as "perverts."

Very few men would not fit that description, given the circumstances. As for myself, I would have to get a closer view of her rack before I'd comply.

[Chesire]

Need some close up shots of the titties .

[threadbear]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('emersonbiggins', 'N')otice also that the ABC reporter does your thinking for you in the headline by labeling the criminals as "perverts."

Very few men would not fit that description, given the circumstances. As for myself, I would have to get a closer view of her rack before I'd comply.

[I_Like_Plants]

They're (the victems trapped by the cops) being termed "perverts" in the headline for the story on Drudge Report, because everyone knows, it's perverted to have any interest in such things at all!

US'ians are of course supposed to only want to play a harp, and have wings, and flit from cloud to cloud........ after they go to heaven for blowing up a bunch of infidels or something!

[gampy]

What is troubling to me, besides the entrapment scheme used, is that if they wanted to reduce men wanking in public, they could have just had a couple beat cops patrol the area on a regular basis. A lot less cost, and guys won't wank with officers walking around the park.

The logic of these kinds of things escape me.

[Eli]

Yeah I saw this story on drudge as well.

They have a video of the bust, it goes along with the cop and the fireman talking and then at one point she takes her leg and puts it on his shoulder.

Let me see, a topless chick returning flirtation and then asking to see the guys dick, yeah that is entrapment. What fucking public service have they preformed? they might as well lock up most of the male population then.

It is not like the guy was trying to solicit sex in an airport bathroom or something.

[Denny]

I can't see that what this guy did would meet the criterion for "perversion". His only potential audience was the girl, who obviously was interested, or at least feigning interest.

Seems to me he was a downright regular guy, who thought his ship had come in.

[Eli]

No shit he thought he had just hit the lottery.

This is an absolute disgrace I hope he sues them and wins millions.

With all the crime that we have we do not need cops creating more crime. How many cops wasted were being paid to conduct this little sting?

[mercurygirl]

Poor guy. His only crime is naivete.

What a lame sting from the PD.

[Tanada]

He is a city employee in their fire department and his job is now in jepordy due to scandle. If he files a suit before losing his job he is going to lose it for sure, if he gets fired he has nothing left to lose. I predict they will keep him desk bound and out of the public eye as much as they can.

Sorry no link, heard it on radio news.

[Denny]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Tanada', 'H')e is a city employee in their fire department and his job is now in jepordy due to scandle. If he files a suit before losing his job he is going to lose it for sure, if he gets fired he has nothing left to lose. I predict they will keep him desk bound and out of the public eye as much as they can.

Sorry no link, heard it on radio news.