Park Indecency Lands Man in Jail

(SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb.) — A Scottsbluff man has been sentenced in Scotts Bluff County Court following an August arrest at a local park involving alleged public sexual activity in the presence of a child.

Marcus Patrick Lucius, 37, pleaded guilty to public indecency, a Class 2 misdemeanor, and disturbing the peace, a Class 3 misdemeanor. As part of a plea agreement, a charge of negligent child abuse without injury, originally filed as a Class 1 misdemeanor, was dropped.

According to an affidavit of probable cause filed by the Scottsbluff Police Department, officers were dispatched around 12:38 p.m. Aug. 15 to a park near East 18th Street and Broadway following a citizen report of suspicious sexual activity.

The caller reported seeing a man and woman with a young child and said the man appeared to have his pants down.

When officers arrived, they observed a young girl running around while Lucius and an adult woman sat on a bench.

According to an affidavit written by Officer Nathan Genoways, officers witnessed sexual contact between the two adults escalate in front of the child. Officers had to shout at the couple to get them to stop.

When ordered to place his hands behind his back, Lucius moved away slightly to pull up his unbuttoned pants, exposing his underwear, before being taken into custody.

During sentencing Tuesday, Lucius was ordered to pay a $100 fine for disturbing the peace.

For the public indecency conviction, he was sentenced to 46 days in jail, with credit for 46 days already served.