Be Sure To Wear Your Wetsuit, Blindfold, Pepper Spray Necklace To Florida's Water Parks

Various water parks in Florida have taken on a weird Westworld vibe this summer, only instead of robots gone mad it’s fellow parkgoers, and instead of trying to kill you they’re trying get at your genitals. And by “you” we mean teenaged girls and boys.

Here’s what’s happened in the past month or so:

  • July 16, Typhoon Lagoon: 29-year-old David Thomas arrested, accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy and as many as five other boys in the park.
  • July 11, Typhoon Lagoon: 51-year-old Bradford Pellet Biggers arrested for exposing himself to a 14-year-old girl. He says it was an accident due to his “European-style” bathing suit. Park officials responded that “guests are expected to wear appropriate swimsuits at Typhoon Lagoon.”
  • July 3, Typhoon Lagoon: 52-year-old Robert Double Jr. arrested after a 15-year-old accuses him of pulling off her bikini and groping her in the wave pool. Security says they have footage of him repeatedly positioning himself in front of young girls so that he can crash into them.
  • June 27, Aquatica: 23-year-old Joshua Fuentes arrested, accused of molesting three girls ages 12 through 14.
  • June 21, Wet ‘n Wild: a 14-year-old girl claims to have been sexually assaulted by “a man with long, dark hair” during a midnight celebration. Police haven’t located a suspect yet.

According to police quoted in a story by Nick VinZant for Central Florida News 13, this sort of stuff isn’t really that uncommon—it’s just frequently underreported.

“All too often and often enough, these things occur and we don’t get notified,” said Jim Solomons from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. “The parents hear about these kinds of things, and by that time the bad guy is off in a crowd.”

“Man Arrested After Touching Boys At Disney Water Park” [WFTV.com]
“Man accused of exposing himself at Typhoon Lagoon is free on bail” [Orlando Sentinel]
“WNY man arrested at Typhoon Lagoon” [WIVB.com]
“Man arrested after 3 girls say he molested them at Aquatica water park” [Orlando Sentinel]
“Girl, 14, Claims Sexual Battery At Wet ‘N Wild” [Central Florida News 13]
“Lewd Behavior At Water Parks Doesn’t Surprise Police” [Central Florida News 13]
(Photo: shareski)

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