A Hot Springs man was arrested Tuesday on a misdemeanor warrant after a female employee reportedly caught him exposing himself in the Garland County Library earlier this month.
Jermaine Louis Atkinson, 28, who lists a Vivian Street address, was taken into custody shortly after 11:30 a.m. and charged with misdemeanor public sexual indecency, punishable by up to one year in jail.
He remained in custody Wednesday in lieu of $1,000 bond, and is set to appear in Garland County District Court on Oct. 31.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Hot Springs police officers responded to the library, 1427 Malvern Ave., on Oct. 5 concerning an unknown male masturbating in one of the aisles. The man left before officers arrived.
On Oct. 6, officer Billy Perkins spoke with the library's director, who stated he was alerted to a man masturbating in the library by a female employee who reportedly caught him in the act. When an employee attempted to confront the man, he reportedly fled.
Detective Kenny May watched the surveillance video from the library and reportedly observed the man wearing a white shirt and bluejeans, walking around with his pants unzipped and open which he covered with a magazine.
He was close to other patrons, and as soon as they walked out of the camera's view Atkinson allegedly looked in their direction before he began, the report states.
Still images form the video were viewed by other police officers and within minutes two officers reportedly identified the man as Atkinson.
Local on 10/19/2017