Police detained 18 men in Manhattan Beach, Calif. Wednesday for a sex sting investigation involving public beach restrooms.
The undercover sting followed complaints from Los Angeles County lifeguards who noticed a group of men frequenting beach restrooms and staying for extended periods of time according to reports at the Los Angeles Daily News.
“It just started up probably the last week in February,” Manhattan Beach police Officer Stephanie Martin said. “[Lifeguards] started noticing some questionable conduct.”
Men were reported to frequent the restrooms for periods longer than an hour with repeat visitors returning often. Lifeguards also reported finding sexual graphics on stall walls including drilled holes through stall partitions. Authorities reported seeing several men in each stall.
Detectives disrupted the sexual ring after using surveillance of the area and researching chat rooms and websites online.
The arrested group of men ranged from ages 21 to 59 and were arrested on charges including soliciting and engaging in lewd conduct, loitering, invasion of privacy, indecent exposure, and utilizing a peephole in a restroom.
