Utah
Man accused of exposing himself to underage girls at Utah store
Estimated learn time: 3-4 minutes
HIGHLAND — The proprietor of Rad Swim in Highland is warning Utah households after she says a person uncovered himself to her affiliate and several other younger women in her retailer Monday night.
“I am actually devastated and heartbroken, I really feel so dangerous for these women,” mentioned Michelle Shumway, proprietor, and designer of Rad Swim.
The person, who additionally visited the shop in November, in accordance with the worker working Monday night time, entered the shop shortly after 4:00 p.m. wearing black sporting a black baseball cap and black masks. Safety video from inside the shop confirmed him choosing out a number of swimsuits and headed to the altering rooms.
“I feel he knew precisely what he was doing,” Shumway mentioned. “The truth that he got here in along with his face hidden with a masks and hat and had his laptop computer hidden tells me he was ready to do that.”
For about 45 minutes, Shumway mentioned the person, who bought totally bare, continued asking the younger retailer affiliate to convey him swimsuits. When she requested him to shut his curtain, Shumway mentioned he refused.
“And she or he mentioned if you cannot shut them it’s essential use the toilet and he refused to shut them,” Shumway mentioned.
Mary Dowell was visiting the shop together with her nine-year-old daughter when she noticed the person.
“I seen his curtain was open and he was utterly nude, and I may see him within the mirror, after which he additionally had a laptop computer on the bottom and I may see him nude on the laptop computer,” Dowell mentioned.
Dowell believes the person was recording himself and the response of the younger women as he uncovered himself to them.
“I instantly addressed him and mentioned ‘you’re disgusting; it’s essential shut your curtain, it’s essential flip your laptop computer off,’ and he type of got here again at me and I shut the curtain on him,” Dowell mentioned.
Dowell referred to as 911 and tended to the 18-year-old worker on the retailer as the person took off in a white BMW with a coated license plate. She recorded the car has it drove away.
“The affiliate was scared and instantly began crying, she mentioned, ‘I’ve Mase in my pocket I am so scared, thanks a lot for saying one thing,’” Dowell mentioned.
The Lone Peak Police Division responded to the shop Monday, and confirmed they’re investigating the incident as a doable case of lewdness or voyeurism. They’re now making an attempt to trace down the person within the safety video to find out if he recorded himself or any of the women.
“My worry is that he’s nonetheless on the market, and we do not know the place he’s going subsequent,” Shumway mentioned. “I simply need to discover him to forestall this from taking place once more.”
Shumway mentioned what occurred Monday night time weighs heavy on her coronary heart as a result of her household has devoted years to creating Rad Swim a protected family-friendly area for younger women to buy swimwear. She hopes by sharing their expertise they will shield others in the neighborhood.
“Our motto is you’re stunning, you’re beloved, and I actually simply need all prospects that are available in to really feel that,” Shumway mentioned. “And the truth that he was doing one thing to harm these younger women is so upsetting to me, nobody ought to must have this occur to them.