A Bloomfield Township man who was accused of masturbating in public was sentenced Thursday in 48th District Court after pleading guilty to indecent exposure, a misdemeanor.<\/p>\n
James Brian Walsh, 59, was sentenced to 20 days in jail with credit for time served and fined $75 for a crime victims rights assessment for the July 24 incident outside the Target store at 2400 S. Telegraph Rd. in Bloomfield Township. He had initially been charged with aggravated indecent exposure, a high misdemeanor carrying a penalty of up to two years in prison and\/or a $2,000 fine, but it was amended to the lower charge.<\/p>\n
Walsh was arrested after Bloomfield police responded to the store on a report of a man sexually pleasuring himself while seated in his vehicle. According to the Bloomfield Township Police Department, officers located Walsh and said a container of lotion was in the car; also, lotion was reportedly seen on Walsh\u2019s hands and the vehicle\u2019s steering wheel. Officers determined that Walsh had recently been viewing pornography on his cell phone, officials said.<\/p>\n
Judge Marc Barron handed down the sentence.<\/p>\n