Fairfield Township police have charged a 44-year-old man they say was caught masturbating in the Barnes & Noble café at the Bridgewater Falls shopping center on June 12 while children were nearby. Leon Damar Sims was arrested June 29 by Hamilton County parole officers and is facing a public indecency charge in Butler County Area 2 Court.
According to police, the incident happened around 6 p.m. on June 12 inside the store’s café. Management did not report it until June 25, at which point investigators released a surveillance photo and asked the public to help identify the man. Officials said anyone with information could call Detective M. E. Robinson at (513) 785-4173, according to WLWT.
Arrest and Charges
Fairfield Township police later identified the suspect as Leon Damar Sims of Cincinnati and said surveillance video d ocumented the conduct. Employees told officers the man stared at staff and customers while masturbating, and several children were in the area, according to a department news release. Police say Sims is under parole supervision through the Ohio Department of Corrections and is listed on the national sex-offender registry from a prior conviction. He was arrested June 29 by Hamilton County parole officers on an alleged parole violation and faces one count of public indecency in Butler County Area 2 Court, as reported by FOX19.
Where It Happened
The episode unfolded inside the chain’s Bridgewater Falls Barnes & Noble, a store that features a café and a family-oriented layout at 3339 Princeton Road. The retailer’s listing confirms the address and hours for that location, according to Barnes & Noble.
Legal Context
Under Ohio law, public indecency prohibits reckless exposure of private parts or masturbation where nearby people could reasonably be affronted. Penalties increase if minors are present or the person has prior convictions. The offense and potential penalties are detailed in Ohio Revised Code § 2907.09, which also allows courts to weigh a defendant’s prior sex-offense history when imposing a sentence, according to the Ohio Revised Code.
What Comes Next
Sims now faces the public indecency case in Butler County Area 2 Court along with separate parole proceedings, and those two tracks could move forward on different schedules. Fairfield Township police thanked store staff for speaking up about the incident and again urged anyone with video or additional information to contact Detective M. E. Robinson at (513) 785-4173, per WLWT.
