A 66-year-old man, Steven Gettis, has been arrested following allegations of lewd behavior and solicitation involving minors. As per the NBC Miami report, Gettis faces charges that include three counts of lewd and lascivious conduct on a child, two counts of lewd and lascivious exhibition, and two counts of luring or enticing a child.
A string of incidents at Turnberry Village where Gettis resides, encompassing inappropriate discussions and behavior target towards children between the ages of 6 and 15, culminated in his arrest. Gettis purportedly made unsolicited and crude conversations with teenagers about his genitals and engaged in a disturbing rhetoric that includes telling a boy that "his penis had not expired but he has to beg it to get up," as per the NBC Miami report. Incredibly alarming, Gettis allegedly exposed himself while describing a scar in the vicinity of the building's pool area.
Local 10 News provides additional context, noting that Gettis supposedly asked personal questions to two 11-year-olds after he recorded them without consent, and made unsettling invitations after telling the boys that he was ordering pizza. According to Local 10 News, "The victims said they felt pressured and scared so they ran home and disclosed the incident to their parents."
Among other charges, Gettis is accused of inappropriate physical contact with young girls, pretending to assist them with gymnastics moves. Having adjusted a young girl's position during a backflip, under the guise of help, a surveillance camera captured Gettis placing his hands on the waist of a 6-year-old. In a statement obtained by Local 10 News, a Miami-Dade prosecutor described the repeated instances, "This is real disturbing conduct that spans over the course of months with multiple victims."
During his bond court hearing, Gettis' public defender questioned the validity of the lewd and lascivious charges. However, Judge Ariel Rodriguez found probable cause on all counts and imposed strict conditional release terms, including Level 3 house arrest and an order for no unsupervised contact with children. Gettis is also forbidden from returning to the condominium building, save for a police-escorted visit to collect his personal items, and his bond was set at over $50,000.
