Park Sex and man Caves....

Park sex sting nets 40 - Men targeted in investigations in two city parks

By Kristen Swing
Press Staff Writerkswing@johnsoncitypress.com
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A two-week-long investigation by Johnson City police led to the arrest of 40 men for indecent behavior in city parks.
The undercover investigation, conducted primarily in Winged Deer and Buffalo Mountain parks, is just the beginning for authorities, who say homosexual activities there have become a “serious problem.”
“Our parks are for family use. People should not be exposed to this while they are out there with their family or trying to enjoy the walking trails,” said Johnson City Police Chief John Lowry. “They are not built nor maintained for sexual activity, be it homosexual activity or heterosexual activity.”
After receiving several complaints about illegal acts, undercover investigators spent much of September working to find problem areas within the parks and arrest those committing the crimes.
“Part of this took place off the paved trails. There’s a thing out there (at Winged Deer Park) they’ve evidently termed the ‘Man Cave,’ ” Lowry said. “It’s a good way off the paved trail. It’s underbrush that’s grown up and resembles a cave.”
According to investigators, men frequent the Man Cave at all times of day specifically to take part in sexual activities with other men.
During their investigation, undercover officers often would strike up a conversation with a man who was approaching the trail leading to the Man Cave. The conversation quickly would turn sexual and, many times, led to proposals for sex, police said.
Several men exposed their genitals to the officers, while a few even groped the investigators without being provoked.
Authorities said Monday they fear the two parks have become known, “by word of mouth,” as places for such illegal activity. Those arrested in the recent sting live in various areas of Tennessee, Virginia and North Carolina. They range in age from 26 to 85.
At least two of the men hold positions of trust within a community. Brent T. Leach, 52, of Johnson City, reportedly works as a teacher within the Johnson City school system while police said Robert E. Riley, 55, of Rogersville, is a pastor at a Rogersville church.
Of the arrests, 31 were made at Winged Deer Park while nine were made at Buffalo Mountain Park. Still, investigators said both facilities are equally infiltrated by the problem.
In an effort to eliminate areas of opportunity within the parks, authorities said they plan to destroy the Man Cave at Winged Deer Park, possibly with a controlled burn.
That comes as good news to Assistant City Manager Charlie Stahl, who complained about the inappropriate activity after witnessing it firsthand while on a tour of city parks in June.
Stahl reportedly walked into a bathroom at Winged Deer Park and saw two men “about to engage in sexual activity.” The men were removed from the park only moments before a child came to use the bathroom.
“I can only imagine if those two men were not removed, what that little boy would have seen,” Stahl said. “Our parks are for families. They’re not for this anti-social behavior. That is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”
Some of the men charged in last month’s investigation already have gone through the court system, while others still await hearings.
According to officials, all of the cases will be “vigorously” prosecuted.
The Suspects
The following 40 individuals were charged in the Johnson City Police Department’s recent undercover investigation at Winged Deer and Buffalo Mountain parks:
• Jimmy Jackson, 55, 1415 St. Louis St.
Charged with: unlawful drug paraphernalia, indecent exposure, public intoxication, simple possession/casual exchange
• Jason Eads, 33, 5730 W. Carters Valley Road, Mount Carmel
Charged with: disorderly conduct
• Billy Fulton, 29, 1000 Roaring Fork Road, Greeneville
Charged with: disorderly conduct
• James Wright, 53, 2413 Wheeler St.
Charged with: indecent exposure
• Tommy Fleenor, 42, 227 Warren Road, Piney Flats
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Dennis Camp, 54, 2441 Portland St., Kingsport
Charged with: simple assault, indecent exposure
• Louis Meatte, 56, 607 1/2 Beech St., Elizabethton
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Douglas Malone, 58, 361 Railroad St., Bluff City
Charged with: disorderly conduct
• Randall Fuller, 36, P.O. Box 607, Honaker, Va.
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Joe Trivette, 50, 1997 King Springs Road
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Mark Hodski, 48, 201 E. Gilmer Park
Charged with: simple assault, disorderly conduct
• Euell Little, 85, 2829 Carroll Creek Road, Gray
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Anderson Griffith, 45, 1315 Indian Ridge Road
Charged with: unlawful drug paraphernalia, disorderly conduct, indecent exposure, simple possession/casual exchange
• Pascal Rose, 46, 405 Austin Springs Road, Piney Flats
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Carl Sells, 38, 1527 Edgemont Ave., Bristol
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• James Thayer, 53, 401 Redwood Road, Bristol
Charged with: disorderly conduct
• Ancil Hoilman, 71, 140 A J Hoilman Road, Erwin
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Jerry McCloud, 55, 108 McCloud Lane, Newland, N.C.
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Kenneth Giles, 53, 43 Claremont Circle, Bristol, Va.
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Eddie Sims, 55, 184 Miller Road, Jonesborough
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Larry Fellers, 53, 687 Calico Road, Afton
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Brent Leach, 52, 712 Clamar St.
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Jeremy Blevins, 29, 2317 Chinquapin Grove Road, Bluff City
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• James Cahow, 62, 1406 Skyline Drive, Building T
Charged with: disorderly conduct, simple assault
• Timothy Shepard, 41, 4001 Sanford Drive
Charged with: disorderly conduct
• Joseph Cole, 41, 136 Douglas Lane, Bristol
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• George Shipley, 39, 114 Suncrest St., Gray
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Robert Vaughan, 45, 323 Warren Road, Piney Flats
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Jeffery Gilliam, 47, 2026 Buckhaven Way, Augusta, Ga.
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Herbert Frederickson, 60, 205 Lisa Lane, Piney Flats
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Eugene Crain, 68, 15 Andys Lane, Bristol
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Stacey McGee, 37, 125 Honeycutt Road, PO Box, Unicoi
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Walter Wilson, 52, 281 Franklin Drive, Blountville
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Nelson Hall, 61, 304 Parker Lane, Kingsport
Charged with: simple assault, disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Robbie Miller, 43, 239 Old Stage Coach Road, Jonesborough
Charged with: disorderly conduct
• Robert Riley, 55, 221 Sharp Ave., Rogersville
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Joseph Smalling, 26, 561 Weaver Branch Road, Bluff City
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure, resisting stop, arrest
• Freddie Boyd, 52, 606 Bristol Caverns Highway, Bristol
Charged with: forcible fondling — sexual battery, disorderly conduct
• Gary Bailey, 43, 204 W. Fourth Ave., Watauga
Charged with: disorderly conduct, indecent exposure
• Wyatt Benn, 39, 1107 Arney St., Elizabethton
Charged with: forcible fondling — sexual battery, disorderly conduct