The WNBA is still struggling with a string of sex toy disturbances.<\/p>\n
In the past week and a half, sex toys have been thrown on court during games in Atlanta on July 29, Chicago on August 1, Los Angeles on August 5 and Chicago again on Thursday night, with the most recent object hitting the court in the closing seconds of the Atlanta Dream\u2019s victory over the Sky.<\/p>\n
The sex toy that landed on the court in Los Angeles nearly hit Fever guard Sophie Cunningham during Indiana\u2019s game against the Sparks. Sex toys were also thrown at games in New York and Phoenix last Tuesday, but didn\u2019t reach the court. Police say another toy was thrown at a game in Atlanta on August 1, although it is unclear if that one reached the court.<\/p>\n
The distractions have created unexpected challenges for the league, the teams and the players, but also for arena security. Here\u2019s what to know.<\/p>\n
A man was arrested Saturday in College Park, Georgia, after he was accused of throwing a sex toy onto the court during the Atlanta Dream\u2019s July 29 matchup with the Golden State Valkyries, according to a police report. The report said he threw another sex toy during the Dream\u2019s August 1 game against the Phoenix Mercury, but that instance did not seem to result in a delay of play.<\/p>\n
He is charged with disorderly conduct, criminal trespassing, public indecency and indecent exposure. All four charges are misdemeanours in the state of Georgia, meaning that if he is convicted, the punishment for each can be a fine of up to $1,000 or jail time of up to 12 months. A misdemeanour for public indecency and indecent exposure may also require registration on the state\u2019s sex offender list.<\/p>\n
The report said the man told police, \u201cThis was supposed to be a joke and the joke [was] supposed to go viral.\u201d`<\/p>\n
Another man in Phoenix was arrested after police say he threw a sex toy in the crowd at a Mercury game on Tuesday. Police say the 18-year-old pulled the sex toy from his sweater pocket and threw it towards seats in front of him, striking a spectator in the back.<\/p>\n
The man later told police it was a prank that had been trending on social media and that he bought the toy a day earlier to take to the game. He was later tackled by a volunteer at the arena who had witnessed the incident and began following him as the man tried to leave the arena.<\/p>\n
Police say the man was arrested on suspicion of assault, disorderly conduct and publicly displaying explicit sexual material.<\/p>\n
The New York Liberty told The Associated Press on Thursday night that there is an ongoing investigation into the throwing in New York, and the team is cooperating with law enforcement.<\/p>\n
The types of sex toys being thrown onto the court generally do not include metal elements, meaning that arena metal detectors are not able to sense them. When carried on a spectator\u2019s body, they become even more difficult to detect.<\/p>\n
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ARENA SECURITY?! Hello??! Please do better. It\u2019s not funny. never was funny. Throwing ANYTHING on the court is so dangerous.<\/p>\n