VA - Eric Williamson for indecent exposure, Springfield, 2009

[jjenny]

Excellent point. If it were light outside then the woman would have needed to practically press her face against the window to get a good look at him. That's probably why he assumed she peeped him earlier in the morning.

Exactly. Sun glares. If it is light out, because of sun's glare, she likely wouldn't have gotten a good look at him inside his home.
Now, if it's dark out, and he has a light on, she would get a good look. While he, from the inside, might not realize she was outside.

 

[CHICANA]

By the way, according to this article, she might have been in his front yard when she saw him.
'Channel 5 reports the woman and 7-year-old boy who saw him naked apparently had cut through Williamson's front yard from a nearby path.'
http://www.wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=1790464

Can he have her arrested for trespassing ?

 

[BuzzieCat]

And I had a doggie named "Cayenne."

Just got to this thread this morning, and I have to catch up, but I had to comment on your aunt's pepper! Too cute....

Ok, caught up. The time discrepancy bothers me. If it was 8:30 in the morning, then it makes sense that Momma was walking her child to school.....and it would mean this guy lied about it being dark out, before daylight. If he lied, then that shows intent to hide something, to me. Not impressed by his substance abuse, either, although I can remember losing a job when I was young and getting stinking drunk to cope with it. (IOW: if he's just having a short term reaction to his life falling apart, that's understandable. I would worry much more if we learn that he is a long time substance abuser who can't tell the difference between daylight and dark.)

I am also in total agreement with the posters who suggested we reverse the gender of the people involved, and then guess which would have been arrested. A man looking in on a naked woman would automatically be arrested. Gender discrimination is alive and well in USA, my friends.

BBM. Just thought I'd point out that it goes the other way an awful lot, too. OT, but IMO there are plenty of situations where a woman gets a longer sentence than a man would in a similar circumstance.

By the way, according to this article, she might have been in his front yard when she saw him.
'Channel 5 reports the woman and 7-year-old boy who saw him naked apparently had cut through Williamson's front yard from a nearby path.'
http://www.wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=1790464

Hmm, if we're back to her cutting through his yard, that makes me mad. She shouldn't have been doing that.

 

[kgeaux]

Well I couldn't tell you the exact time I make coffee or tea. I don't keep track or a time sheet. By the way it is much easier to see into someone's window if it's dark outside, and they have a light on, than if it's light outside. Because of sun's glare, I don't think someone would get a good view if it was light outside.

http://www.wtkr.com/news/wtkr-naked-kitchen,0,7977988.story

Not much glare in the photo.

Do you work, Jenny? Maybe I am aware of the time of day I make coffee because my work schedule requires that I wake up at the same time every day? I can see that if I didn't have a job to make me get up at the same time every day, I might wake at different times each day. You've shown me that my stance on the time he made coffee is based on my own subjective opinion and might be totally off-the-wall.

I don't know if this man was aware of the time of day, but I know he had to have been aware if it was dark or light. I also know he initially claimed his roommates were not home, and that's why he felt comfortable coming downstairs in the buff----but the roommates say they WERE home, and witnessed him running around in nothing but a hardhat for hours!

The linked article says the police are asking if anyone else saw him walking around his house naked. I haven't seen any reports that they received other complaints.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/l...offee-naked-or-exposing-himself_-8418601.html

Police say they've received additional reports regarding Williamson's nudity and they're distributing a flier in the neighborhood around the 8700 block of Arley Drive, where Williamson lives with roommates.

Granted, the article says "reports" not "complaints." I used the wrong word, but I think it's just a matter of semantics. :blowkiss:

 

[kgeaux]

Whoops! Sorry, sweetie, I responded before you removed your post--

 

[STEADFAST]

I don't see this as a case of a man being charged with exposing himself to a woman but rather as a man being charged with exposing himself to a 7-year-old child.

I also note that the story that she was cutting through his yard at 5:30 am and saw him making coffee nude while he was alone in his home was the early story that he told to interviewers. It has since been contradicted by his roommates, the woman, the police and even the man himself.

 

[kgeaux]

I don't see this as a case of a man being charged with exposing himself to a woman but rather as a man being charged with exposing himself to a 7-year-old child.

I also note that the story that she was cutting through his yard at 5:30 am and saw him making coffee nude while he was alone in his home was the early story that he told to interviewers. It has since been contradicted by his roommates, the woman, the police and even the man himself.

Me, too, Steadfast. I started out completely in support of the man. I believed the woman was a trespasser who went from window to window to get a better view,and that LE would never be able to prove intent in order to prosecute this man. Now, after reading that his car-port door was open, that the roommates were home, that his time was off by three hours, that other reports have been received, that a school bus stop is across the street from the home he was living in, my hinkey meter is starting to ring loudly.

I've been reminded to wait until both sides of the story are presented before even attempting to form an opinion!

God's blessings! Tell Vito that kgeaux sez "Hi, right back atya!"

 

[STEADFAST]

I've been reminded to wait until both sides of the story are presented before even attempting to form an opinion!

Well, unless your opinion is that the woman is a voyeuristic, peeping Tom; then it's okay.

 

[jjenny]

http://www.wtkr.com/news/wtkr-naked-kitchen,0,7977988.story

Not much glare in the photo.

Do you work, Jenny? Maybe I am aware of the time of day I make coffee because my work schedule requires that I wake up at the same time every day? I can see that if I didn't have a job to make me get up at the same time every day, I might wake at different times each day. You've shown me that my stance on the time he made coffee is based on my own subjective opinion and might be totally off-the-wall.

I don't know if this man was aware of the time of day, but I know he had to have been aware if it was dark or light. I also know he initially claimed his roommates were not home, and that's why he felt comfortable coming downstairs in the buff----but the roommates say they WERE home, and witnessed him running around in nothing but a hardhat for hours!

Why would there be glare in the photo? It is clearly taken when it was dark outside and he had light on. This photo only supports the point I was making- one can get a good look at someone inside their home if it is dark outside and the person in the home has a light on. I personally did not see any reports that his roommates were at home at the time(s) of the incident. The article I have read said his roommates left home at 5 am on the day at question, which would make it impossible for them to be at home whether this has happened either at 5:30 or 8:30 am.

 

[gxm]

Actually, there is no clear consensus regarding the roommates version of events. But from what I've been able to piece together, they left for work on the morning of the "peeping" at 5 AM. So they are not reliable witnesses as to whether he was running around naked after 5 AM until they came home that day.

It was a week day when this happened so I'm inclined to believe that the roomies had already left for the day. And for all we know, the "reports" of him running around drunk and naked could have come from the roommates on another day or after they returned from work. The reporting hasn't really made that clear.

 

[gxm]

Why would there be glare in the photo? It is clearly taken when it was dark outside and he had light on. This photo only supports the point I was making- one can get a good look at someone inside their home if it is dark outside and the person in the home has a light on. I personally did not see any reports that his roommates were at home at the time(s) of the incident. The article I have read said his roommates left home at 5 am on the day at question, which would make it impossible for them to be at home whether this has happened either at 5:30 or 8:30 am.

Also, the photo was, presumably, taken by a professional photojournalist, someone schooled in the process of dealing with lighting issues.

 

[gxm]

Honestly, this case has all the hallmarks of similar cases where a burglar injures himself (falls through a skylight, gets stuck on a window) while breaking into a house and then has the audacity to complain and/or sue about it. The woman was in the wrong. If you don't want to gaze at nude men in their houses then don't peer into their windows while trespassing on their lawn.

 

[kgeaux]

Why would there be glare in the photo? It is clearly taken when it was dark outside and he had light on. This photo only supports the point I was making- one can get a good look at someone inside their home if it is dark outside and the person in the home has a light on. I personally did not see any reports that his roommates were at home at the time(s) of the incident. The article I have read said his roommates left home at 5 am on the day at question, which would make it impossible for them to be at home whether this has happened either at 5:30 or 8:30 am.

Here you go, Jenny. This article contains a direct quote from one of the roommates:

Williamson was acting strange Monday morning, the roommate said.
"We wake up to Eric running around the house with nothing but a work hardhat on, butt naked," the roommate said.
"I was upstairs, downstairs without clothes on for several hours," Williamson told NBC4 Wednesday. "And then I ended up putting pants on when I guess that act got old I ended up putting some pants on."


Pasted from http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/l...er-Being-Seen-Naked-in-His-Home-65316082.html

The person who reported that the roommates had left that morning and that he was alone was Williamson himself. The roommate has contradicted him. Williamson also said it was "dark" out, which we know is not true since police reports place the incident at between 8:30 and 8:40 AM. And he has admitted running around in the nude for several hours, so if he did wake at 5:30, he admits still being nude "several hours" later----right when the woman says he was?

I have no idea if this man meant to show himself off, or not. But I do know he lied from the get-go, and that is always troublesome.

 

[jjenny]

No, his roommates said they all left at 5 am.
"FOX 5 also spoke with some of Williamson's roommates, and they said they believed Eric was drunk on Monday morning when they were all leaving for work around 5 a.m. The alleged exposure happened around 8:30 a.m. Williamson, however, says he was drinking on Sunday night, but was not drunk on Monday morning."
http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/local/102109_naked_man_arrested_after_making_coffee_update

And by the way it appears that police is treating it like the crime of the century. I am amazed that they are out there putting out fliers and asking if anyone else saw this guy naked. Are they really that concerned the guy was naked in his own home, or are they doing all this because the lady who saw him naked is a wife of a police officer?

 

[STEADFAST]

No, his roommates said they all left at 5 am.
"FOX 5 also spoke with some of Williamson's roommates, and they said they believed Eric was drunk on Monday morning when they were all leaving for work around 5 a.m. The alleged exposure happened around 8:30 a.m. Williamson, however, says he was drinking on Sunday night, but was not drunk on Monday morning."
http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/local/102109_naked_man_arrested_after_making_coffee_update

And by the way it appears that police is treating it like the crime of the century. I am amazed that they are out there putting out fliers and asking if anyone else saw this guy naked. Are they really that concerned the guy was naked in his own home, or are they doing all this because the lady who saw him naked is a wife of a police officer?

Or are they doing it because they want to know if there's been a man exposing himself to school children? Maybe he was innocently wandering around the house naked, or maybe he was drunk and out of his right senses and the incident with the woman and her son is an anomaly, or maybe he makes a habit of exposing himself. All LE is doing is investigating. Seems to me that's their job. I think taking his story at face value would be a disservice to the children in the neighborhood.

 

[jjenny]

Or are they doing it because they want to know if there's been a man exposing himself to school children? Maybe he was innocently wandering around the house naked, or maybe he was drunk and out of his right senses and the incident with the woman and her son is an anomaly, or maybe he makes a habit of exposing himself. All LE is doing is investigating. Seems to me that's their job. I think taking his story at face value would be a disservice to the children in the neighborhood.

If only police used that sort of vigor to investigate all the crimes. When my wallet was stolen the only thing I could get police to do is to take a police report.

 

[carla61154]

I don't think that window looks that big. It looks that way because the camera is up close IMO. Do we know if the window was towards the back? Facing a secluded yard? I think there's a reasonable expectation one has in their own home for privacy. And the law should be tempered with intent. I don't think this guy meant any harm and you certainly don't expect other people to walk through your yard.

The window doesn't look that big to me either...and, no offense gentlemen, with the plantings in front I think one would have to be very close and looking hard to see 'something' under the circumstances...

Let's just hope there won't be a Home Nudity Czar appointed b/c of this...

 

[gxm]

No, his roommates said they all left at 5 am.
"FOX 5 also spoke with some of Williamson's roommates, and they said they believed Eric was drunk on Monday morning when they were all leaving for work around 5 a.m. The alleged exposure happened around 8:30 a.m. Williamson, however, says he was drinking on Sunday night, but was not drunk on Monday morning."
http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/local/102109_naked_man_arrested_after_making_coffee_update

And by the way it appears that police is treating it like the crime of the century. I am amazed that they are out there putting out fliers and asking if anyone else saw this guy naked. Are they really that concerned the guy was naked in his own home, or are they doing all this because the lady who saw him naked is a wife of a police officer?

ITA. It is absurd how far they are taking this and the way they are out to pin something more on this guy (no pun intended), it seems likely that they'll finally find someone who tells them what they want to hear. It would be ridiculous if it weren't so frightening. All because a nosy cop's wife couldn't stay off someone's property and stop herself from looking in the man's windows.

And I think people should take a picture from across the street before they accuse the guy of flashing school kids. We don't even know if the line of sight between the man's window and the bus stop is direct and unobstructed. From what I've seen, the window is obstructed with shrubs and you can't really see him below his waist when the photographer is clearly standing right outside of the window. And IMO, school kids probably have more sense than the mom and don't spend their time waiting for the bus by trespassing on people's lawns and peeping in their windows.

 

[STEADFAST]

Looks like Williamson tried to solve his home nudity problems (though since he was moving out, I don't quite get it, but anyway . . .)

"As for what really happened, the roommate said, "anything's possible." All he knows is that the kitchen curtains, which he said were Williamson's, were not installed when he left for work Monday morning but that they were up when he got home."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy...10/25/AR2009102502468.html?hpid=moreheadlines

(This article is a good summary of the two different stories.)

 

[LCoastMom]

Not strictly on topic, just a side note:

I was once renting a flat in Amsterdam, sitting by the window watching the boats go by. My neighbor across the canal was preparing dinner. Now, I wasn't staring at her for 4 hours non-stop! , I could see her, and she could see me. We were both fully dressed, but I wasn't doing anything remotely interesting.

(respectfully clipped)

You had me worried for a minute. This was starting to sound stalkerish!!!

ITA. It is absurd how far they are taking this and the way they are out to pin something more on this guy (no pun intended), it seems likely that they'll finally find someone who tells them what they want to hear. It would be ridiculous if it weren't so frightening. All because a nosy cop's wife couldn't stay off someone's property and stop herself from looking in the man's windows.

And IMO, school kids probably have more sense than the mom and don't spend their time waiting for the bus by trespassing on people's lawns and peeping in their windows.

(respectfully clipped) You have several excellent points. It sounds like the bottom line is going to be She is a "respected member of the community!" (and possibly the one who refuse s to drop it?) This is another case of things being taken too far by people who should take a step back and a fresh look.

Instead of calling the cops, had she talked to her dh and made this complaint, he could have approached the guy 'neighbor to neighbor', "Hey guy; little kids and their mothers walk by here, cover yourself or cover your window." Done.... Makes way too much sense.

If he had a record of children making these reports prior to this incident, the cops wouldn't need to send out flyers!!!