FORT PIERCE, Fla. — Six people were arrested and charged with indecent exposure after allegedly sunbathing nude at a non-designated beach in St. Lucie County, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said the group — Daniel Harrisson, 77; Donald Knapp, 74; Gaetane Lambert, 73; Steven Marhenke, 60; Elmer Quandt, 77; and Nickolas Ramos, 27 — were taken into custody on Oct. 25 at the Little Mud Boat Ramp area near the Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway. Each faces charges of indecent exposure and exposure of sexual organs.
Authorities said the arrests followed multiple complaints about “unauthorized nudity” at the location. The nudists reportedly began frequenting the area after their usual spot, Blind Creek Beach, a designated clothing-optional beach, was closed for parking lot renovations.
“While the ongoing Blind Creek Beach renovation project may be a temporary inconvenience, it does not permit the use of undesignated public areas as extensions of the designated nude-optional beach,” the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
Deputies have been patrolling the area since early September, using both foot and ATV patrols to remind beachgoers about signage marking the official nude zones.
The Little Mud Boat Ramp, where the arrests occurred, is about 1.1 miles north of the permitted nudist area.
Residents expressed mixed reactions. Some told 12 News they didn’t mind the nudists, while others said it was inappropriate. “It would be odd, yes,” one woman said. “Because young families could be here, and the sign says you have to be clothed or in a bathing suit.”
According to online jail records, each suspect was released on a $500 bond. Court dates are scheduled as follows: Harrisson, Lambert, and Marhenke on Nov. 21; Quandt on Dec. 10; and Knapp on Dec. 19. Ramos’ court date remains unclear.
Authorities did not say whether the six have attorneys representing them.
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