[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 105 (Wednesday, July 23, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1496]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


  DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 
                                  1998

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. DAVE WELDON

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 15, 1997

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill, H.R. 2107, making 
     appropriations for the Department of the Interior and related 
     agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1998, and 
     for other purposes:


  Mr. WELDON. Mr. Chairman, during the debate on my amendment to the 
Interior appropriations bill that will ensure families are able to 
enjoy this national seashore, I was asked by my colleagues to submit 
examples of the type of behavior that park visitors were encountering. 
In response to these requests, I am submitting the following examples. 
When families go to a national park, they do not expect to see the type 
of behavior that is listed below. These examples are taken verbatim 
from National Park Service Criminal Incident Records. My amendment, 
which was adopted 396-25 ensures that Brevard County, FL is able to set 
its own public decency standard without fear of the Federal Government 
overruling their decision.

                       Criminal Incident Records

       Two visitors stopped at the visitor center and reported a 
     man and woman having sex on the beach while numerous other 
     nude people watched. Ranger [deleted] and I responded and 
     walked to the area, observing the couple described earlier 
     and approximately 10 others in the immediate area. Most were 
     regulars on the beach, including [deleted].
                                                                    ____

       On 02-[deleted]-96 at approximately [deleted] hours, Ms. 
     [deleted] reported to me at the North District Ranger Station 
     that she and her two sons ([deleted], age 9 and [deleted] age 
     2) had witnessed a sexual offense on the beach. Ms. [deleted] 
     stated that she and the children were on the beach, 60 yards 
     south of boardwalk #5, when they observed a W/M walking down 
     the beach who then stopped 20 feet from them. He took his 
     clothes off and sat down. Then he started masturbating in 
     full view of them. She and the children then walked off the 
     beach. The W/M put his clothes on fast and walked off the 
     beach. He got in front of them and stopped on the boardwalk 
     at the top. When Ms. [deleted] came up to him she called him 
     a Creep and told him he shouldn't masturbate in front of her 
     children. He told her that she was crazy. She walked to her 
     vehicle and the W/M went into the bathroom. She had her back 
     turned in his direction and told her son [deleted] they must 
     have lost him. [deleted] told her the W/M was getting into a 
     van. Ms. [deleted] then followed the van up A1A at a high 
     rate of speed.
                                                                    ____

       While visiting the Beach at Parking Lot Area 2 with my 3 
     sons, ages 12-15 and a female friend who is a local resident, 
     and her two sons, ages 7 and 16; we found we needed to cut 
     our visit short due to the arrival of a young man who, 
     approximately 50 yards from us, began sunbathing in the nude. 
     Several times he would stand up, or would turn and lie in 
     different positions facing whichever direction our children 
     ran. He did not attempt to speak to anyone, but we felt this 
     type of behavior was inappropriate at a national site.
                                                                    ____

       I was contracted by the complainant who was very upset with 
     the confrontation she and her family had with two nude white 
     males. While walking south from boardwalk #3, two males who 
     had been lying in wait for the group to get close, both got 
     up and began walking toward [deleted] family. Shocked by the 
     nudity of the men, the family quickly turned around and 
     departed the beach. I attempted to explain to the group the 
     situation the Park Service and its rangers at Canaveral 
     National Seashore are faced with.
                                                                    ____

       [Deleted] stated that while she was on the beach at grid 
     marker 29, south of boardwalk #4, on an ATV she came upon a 
     dead sea turtle. A white male who was jogging came up to her 
     asking questions about the turtle, and as he was talking to 
     her he began fondling himself. [Deleted] got on the ATV and 
     headed north. When she looked back, the male appeared to be 
     masturbating.
                                                                    ____

       Mr. [deleted] came to the North District Ranger Station on 
     1[deleted]93 at approximately [deleted] p.m. He wrote the 
     following complaint against nudity.
       Currently, I have alternating weekend visitation with my 
     son. Having selected Cape Canaveral National Seashore for 
     time to spend with my son, I eagerly awaited an enjoyable 
     day. ``National,'' implies family oriented being these parks 
     are visited by families; however, while walking south of 
     parking lot 5 with my 9 year old son, an adult male walked 
     out of the water, nude, without any consideration for the 
     ill-effect this could have on a child. I now have to 
     determine how to explain this to my son. I believe this 
     activity is detremental to a family unit and should not be 
     tolerated at a vacation location.
                                                                    ____

       At about [deleted], 03/ [deleted]/93, Mr. [deleted] 
     approached me at the Miles Avenue 7-11 store. He said that he 
     and his wife had just been walking on the beach about 1 mile 
     south of parking lot 5. He said that when he got some 
     distance away from his wife he looked back and saw a nude 
     white male, with an obvious erection,``Bird-dogging'' his 
     wife. He said the man walked up close to his wife and clearly 
     attempted to display his masculinity to her.
       Mr. [deleted] described the subject as a white male, 
     [deleted]. He said he saw the man drive away from parking 
     area 5 in a 2-door Honda with Florida tag# [deleted] said he 
     did not want to press charges. But wanted me to file a 
     report.
       [Deleted]
                                                                    ____

       On 02-[deleted]93 at approximately [deleted] hours, I was 
     contacted by [deleted]. She explained that she had been 
     jogging on the beach, north of Lot #13, when a man jogged up 
     to her and removed his shorts. He then started to jog next to 
     her and was fondling himself and trying to ``masterbate''. 
     [Deleted] repeatedly told the man to put his shorts on. She 
     said she was going to report him and get him ``busted`. 
     [Deleted] then went up a boardwalk to get away from the 
     individual. A few minutes later the man drove up beside her 
     and asked her if she wanted [deleted].
                                                                    ____

       On 8/[deleted]/96 at about [deleted] hrs, I received a 
     complaint from a male visitor who alleged that [deleted] had 
     been fondling his genital area in fron of the complainent's 
     female companion. The complaining party did not wish to give 
     his name. [deleted] denied this allegation. I checked for 
     want's and warrants on [deleted] and did not find any.
       [Deleted] that made a verbal threat about the complaining 
     party but then calmed down and returned to the beach.
                                                                    ____

       Mr.[deleted] called via cell phone to report two males and 
     one female engaged in sex acts on the beach in front of 
     numerous passersby. I responded, but was unable to locate the 
     suspects or reporting party. The phone connection was poor 
     and the message misunderstood as to location.
       Later, Mr. [deleted] contacted me on the road and described 
     in detail how the three performed sex acts without regard for 
     others on the beach.
       He described each individual and I recognized Mr. [deleted] 
     as a regular visitor. Ms. [deleted] had just been issued a 
     citation for unsafe operation, and the third individual was 
     observed [deleted] leaving the park.
                                                                    ____

       I was stopped by a [deleted] at the boardwalk #3. She was 
     complaining about a [deleted] male who was walking around her 
     family. The male was nude and purposely exposing himself to 
     her family. Suspect left the area and parking lot when he 
     observed me arriving on the ATV. [Deleted] wrote a complaint 
     and I seized the suspect's abandoned property, (towel, shirt, 
     cooler, sunscreen, and umbrella).

     

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