Following an investigation, a Dartmouth man has been taken into custody for exposing himself in a park.
On May 10, Dartmouth police conducted an undercover investigation for suspicious activity at Harry Reynold’s Park, located at 443 Old Fall River Road in Dartmouth.
Police say they received numerous complaints of “acts of lewdness” and individuals exposing themselves on the walking trails.
While conducting an investigation, detectives of the Dartmouth Police Department Community Impact Unit (CIU) learned that individuals were using social apps to arrange meetings to engage in sexual acts at a pre-determined location.
One very popular and prominent location used amongst these individuals was Harry Reynolds’ Park.
Then, at 1:33 P.M., detectives saw two men go along the walking trails. The men had come from two separate vehicles, and while making their way onto the walking trails, they made eye contact with one another.
After the two men had entered the walking trail, detectives made their way in, where they noticed the two individuals standing near one another. One of the men then made eye contact with one of the detectives, proceeded to pull his pants down, and masturbate.
Detectives identified themselves, and the man, identified as Joao Ladino, 67, of Dartmouth, was detained. Ladino was uncooperative with officers on scene, which led to him being transported to a local hospital for evaluation.
Dartmouth Police Chief Brian P. Levesque credited his detectives for their strong work, stating, “The recent reports of lewd activities in our public park are deeply concerning and unacceptable. Our parks are cherished spaces where families and children come to relax and enjoy the outdoors. Let me be clear, this type of behavior will not be tolerated, and we will continue to investigate these complaints. The Dartmouth Police Department is committed to ensuring our parks remain safe and welcoming for everyone in our community.”
Ladino was charged with open and gross lewdness and lewd, wanton, and lascivious conduct.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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