Boston Criminal Lawyers Blog
Two Boston men were arrested this past week for exposing themselves on the MBTA. Lawrence MaGuire, 59 of Dorchester, and John A. Beyers, 64 of Brighton, were separately charged with the unlawful public indecency acts. Each have been charged with Open and Gross Lewdness and Indecent Exposure.
MaGuire is alleged to have exposed himself and then masturbating while on the Red Line from Davis to Park Street in Boston this past Wednesday.
Beyers is alleged to have exposed him to several women on July 22 at the Reservoir Station in Brookline. A witness to the incident apparently took a photo of Beyers with a cell phone and published the man’s photo on Twitter. The Boston Herald, after becoming aware of the Twitter posts, alerted the MBTA, who apparently recognized Beyers from prior incidents. This led to Beyers’ arrest yesterday.
As a result of apprehending Beyers through Twitter, the MBTA now also plans on creating a Twitter account to help passengers report possible crimes.
Open and Gross Lewdness:
The crime of Open and Gross Lewdness is the intentional, indecent and offensive exposure of one’s genital’s to another person, which carries a maximum penalty of up to 3 years in state prison. A subsequent conviction of Open and Gross Lewdness will also subject the defendant to Sex Offender Registration.
Indecent Exposure:
The crime of Indecent Exposure is the intentional exposure of one’s genitals to one or more persons, who were offended as a result, which carries a maximum penalty of up to 6 months in the House of Corrections.
By contrast, the crime of Open and Gross Lewdness includes the intentional exposure of genitalia, but has the additional element that it must be done in a way as to produce alarm in shock.
Boston Criminal Lawyer Lefteris K. Travayiakis is available 24/7 to discuss your criminal case and evaluate your legal options.
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