Actor-comedian Fred Willard, 72, was recently arrested for lewd conduct in an adult movie theater in Los Angeles. According to a news report in the Los Angeles Times, the arrest occurred at the Tiki Theater on Santa Monica Boulevard. Police officers say they were performing a spot check on the theater when they noticed Willard performing an unspecified lewd act. He was arrested for engaging in a lewd act and released. Officers have visited the Tiki Theater 40 times since November of last year and have made 23 arrests in those visits.
There are many acts that can result in criminal charges under California Code 647. For example, an individual who “solicits anyone to engage in or who engages in lewd or dissolute conduct in any public place or in any place open to the public or exposed to public view,” or who “loiters in or about any toilet open to the public for the purpose of engaging in or soliciting any lewd or lascivious or any unlawful act” is guilty of disorderly conduct. A lewd act may also involve indecent exposure, masturbation, or proposals of sexual acts in a public location.
It is common for these types of arrests to result from an entrapment. Officers often go undercover to bait an individual to commit an indecent act. It is also common for officers to focus on a location where they believe that lewd behavior may take place. In such cases, it is important to look into whether officers followed proper procedures while conducting the raid and making the arrest.
All allegations of lewd conduct can affect defendants professionally, socially, and financially. The experienced Van Nuys sex crime defense attorneys at Sitkoff & Hanrahan have a long history of fighting lewd conduct charges. If you or a loved one has been accused of lewd conduct or other sex crimes, please contact us at (866) 430-8383 for a no-cost consultation.