Neighbors in a Hollywood, Florida apartment building say their quiet complex turned into an unwanted peep show, and now a 79-year-old resident is facing criminal charges over it.
Police say the man was arrested this week after multiple residents reported that he repeatedly exposed himself in the building’s shared spaces. According to investigators, the behavior allegedly escalated when an officer came to his door and he answered wearing only a G-string thong, then made lewd gestures toward her. He was booked on five counts of indecent exposure.
Residents told police they called 911 on May 19 and again on May 20, accusing the man of routinely walking around the complex naked and, at one point, “thrusting” his penis toward a neighbor’s doorbell camera, according to WPLG. Investigators said several neighbors were increasingly on edge and described the behavior as ongoing sexual harassment. Police identified the suspect as Tyrone James Causey, 79, and said the calls came from an apartment complex in Hollywood.
An officer who went to the apartment wrote in her report that Causey opened the door in a G-string thong and claimed he thought Florida law gave him the right to be nude in public. The same report states that he then applied lipstick, began touching his penis and told the officer, “Jump rope for me, baby doll,” according to documents obtained by reporters and cited by WKRC.
Detectives say they identified five neighbors who reported seeing the man expose himself, and he was arrested and charged with five counts of indecent exposure. Prosecutors initially treated the case as a felony matter under a second-or-subsequent-offense theory tied to a 1987 arrest, but Broward court records reflect that a judge later found probable cause only for misdemeanor charges, WPLG reports. Court and jail records showed he was not listed in Broward’s online jail roster later that week.
What the law says
Florida law makes it illegal to expose sexual organs in public “in a vulgar or indecent manner,” and treats that conduct as a first-degree misdemeanor. A second or later violation can be charged as a third-degree felony, according to Florida Statutes. The statute carves out some exceptions, such as breastfeeding or being nude in a location specifically designated for nudity.
Neighbors and next steps
Neighbors told reporters the situation left them rattled and reaching for their doorbell cameras to document what was happening in shared hallways and walkways, with some saying they no longer felt comfortable in their own building, WKRC reported. The case now moves through Broward County’s court system, where prosecutors will decide how aggressively to pursue charges based on the evidence and the defendant’s record.
Legal outlook
Under state law, a misdemeanor indecent exposure conviction can bring jail time and fines, while a second-or-subsequent conviction is a third-degree felony that carries steeper penalties, according to Florida Statutes. Prosecutors are expected to lean heavily on court records, police reports and any recorded footage from neighbors’ cameras as the case plays out.
