FORT PIERCE, Fla. (CBS12) — Newly released documents are shedding light on the arrest of a St. Lucie Public Schools employee accused of exposing himself to two young girls in Fort Pierce.
Initially, details surrounding the arrest of 46-year-old groundskeeper Handy Whitehead on July 14, 2026, were limited to initial police reports. However, a newly obtained probable cause affidavit reveals a sequence of events captured on camera, along with a confrontation by the victims’ father and conflicting excuses Whitehead reportedly gave to investigators.
According to the affidavit, the incident occurred at approximately 3:06 p.m. at a home on Indian Hills Drive. The victims’ mother had briefly left the house, leaving her daughters, ages 11 and 14, on the front porch under the care of their older brother.
Newly released documents are shedding light on the arrest of a St. Lucie Public Schools employee accused of exposing himself to two young girls in Fort Pierce (WPEC)
Whitehead, who has lived next door to the family for over five years, greeted the girls before going inside his house and returning with a chair. He then sat on his porch in full view of the girls and the public, exposed himself, and began masturbating. The girls immediately called their mother, and their father soon arrived to confront Whitehead. The father recorded the interaction on his phone, a video in which Whitehead is heard repeatedly apologizing and admitting that he was touching himself in front of people.
““Something like that can be very devastating, especially if it happens to someone so young. That’s trauma that they will take with them throughout their life it would seem that the younger you are, the longer you will have to stay with that type of trauma,” said neighbor and college professor Sophia Russell.
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The father later told officers that he had stopped his children from going near Whitehead’s home a year prior after hearing neighborhood rumors that Whitehead had been peeping on local children. Following the confrontation, Whitehead fled the neighborhood in a black Dodge Nitro, which was later spotted by a Fort Pierce police officer parked outside a home in the 300 block of North 14th Street. Whitehead was located sitting outside the residence and was detained.
During questioning, Whitehead waived his Miranda rights and admitted to masturbating outside, but claimed he was unaware the children were present. When asked why he did not perform the act inside, Whitehead claimed he was afraid his wife would walk in on him. Detectives immediately confronted Whitehead, noting they knew his wife was away on vacation, and asked why he would choose to masturbate in his front yard in full public view if he was truly worried about being caught. Whitehead then reportedly changed his story, telling officers he “did not know what he was thinking.”
““it’s concerning because who knows who else have been impacted by that. What other children have experienced something like that. So it’s kind of scary,” Russell said.
Following his arrest, St. Lucie Public Schools confirmed Whitehead is employed as a groundskeeper in the District’s Maintenance Department. The district released a statement on the matter Friday morning.
“Handy Whitehead is employed by St. Lucie Public Schools as a groundskeeper in the District’s Maintenance Department and is not assigned to a specific school campus. Following his arrest, Mr. Whitehead was placed on Temporary Duty Assignment (TDA) pending the outcome of the investigation and any related proceedings. Because this is an ongoing personnel and legal matter, the District is unable to provide additional details at this time. The safety and well-being of our students remains our highest priority, and the District will continue to follow all applicable policies, procedures, and legal requirements.”
““I don’t want to attack the schools. They’re doing a great job. But, there should be some other measures associated with it. Absolutely,” said Russell.
Whitehead remains held at the St. Lucie County Jail on a $40,000 bond. He faces two felony counts of lewd and lascivious behavior-exhibition in the presence of a person under 16, as well as two misdemeanor counts of exposure of sexual organs.