Man 'Doing Some Crazy (Expletive)' In Salem Gets Reduced Charges

SALEM, MA -- A Florida man got a break in Salem District Court Wednesday when prosecutors reduced charges against him from open and gross lewdness to indecent exposure. The trial against Paul West, 52, of Tampa, on the more serious charge was to have opened Wednesday. But because the jogger that reported he had seen West allegedly with his pants down, holding a large sex toy and "doing some crazy (expletive)," did not give his name to police, prosecutors had to settle for the lesser charges.

West admitted to sufficient facts on the indecent exposure charge. The case was continued without finding for one year and will be dismissed if West stays out of trouble during that time.

Last year police arrested West in a wooded area near the Salem Willows that is a known "cruising spot," according to the Salem News, which first reported this story. West told police he had come to stay in Beverly with his mother after being displaced by Hurricane Irma. While police observed West without his pants on and holding the sex toy the jogger reported, they did not observe the more serious acts that would have resulted in the more serious charges.

For more on this story, see the Salem News. Subscribe to Salem Patch for more local news and real-time alerts.

Patch file photo of Salem Willows.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).