A woman who was arrested for public masturbation just a few weeks ago in the United States has been arrested again for the same offence.
Vanessa Lee Jones was completely naked on Monday, November 9, when she was seen masturbating by passers-by outside a chicken shop in St Petersburg, Florida.
According to the St Petersburg police arrest paperwork, Jones, 38, showed no sign of being drunk or under the influence of drugs, and there was no evidence of mental health issues.
Nevertheless, she was seen outside Popeye’s Fried Chicken at 10am on November 9, 2020, entirely naked and touching herself.
Arresting officers “also witnessed the defendant masturbating in front of the dumpster completely naked,” and later examination of the CCTV footage from Popeye’s showed Jones masturbating while fully naked there as well.
Jones was previously arrested on September 30 for masturbating outside a 7-11 convenience store a short distance away from where yesterday’s offence took place.
On that occasion, she was allegedly spotted at about 11am “continuously rubbing her vagina” outside a supermarket in front of a child.
Jones, who was said to be “smirking” at the time of that first incident, was reportedly observed by the child’s uncle, who “video recorded the incident” and showed the evidence to the arresting officers.
She remained behind bars until October 28, when she was freed after prosecutors declined to pursue the “lewd and lascivious exhibition” case.
After she was caught masturbating in public again, Jones was arrested for exposure of sexual organs, which is a misdemeanour crime. She is being held in the county jail in lieu of $150 (£114) bond.
US law states anyone 18 or older who commits a lewd or lascivious exhibition commits a second-degree felony which is punishable by 15 years in prison and a $10,000 (£7,688) fine
