Hillside flasher arrested while out on bond
Posted on Wednesday, June 25, 2008
A west Washington County man convicted several times on indecent exposure charges has been arrested again while he was out on bond while appealing his latest conviction.
Vernon Holland, 69, of Summers was arrested Monday after the Washington County Sheriff's Office received a complaint that he was masturbating in the front yard of a residence along Holt Road in Lincoln.
The incident report filed by the sheriff's deputy stated Holland bared his chest to a man outside the residence while making comments about his breasts. Another man inside the house told deputies he witnessed Holland exposing his chest.
"Laverne is here... Got any titties for sale ? "Holland was reported as saying.
Holland then drove off and returned to the home later. Holland then took off his clothes, exited his vehicle and began masturbating in front of a woman who was standing at her front door, again making repeated references to breasts.
Holland is well-known in west Washington County for wearing women's lingerie or nothing at all on the front porch of his hillside home along U. S. 62 near Summers. He's also been reported exposing himself at the roadside park at the intersection of U. S. 62 and Arkansas 59 near his home, as well as other places.
Mike Holcroft, a Washington County sheriff's deputy, said over the years he's responded to complaints on Holland too many times to count - probably 15 or 20.
Holcroft said he remembers going to Holland's house in the 1990 s with Tim Franks of the Lincoln Police Department. Franks told a nude Holland to go back into his room and put on some clothes before they took him to jail, he said.
Holland returned wearing only a hat, a tie and an old pair of canvas shoes, Holcroft said.
"It was sight to behold," he said.
Holland has been booked into the Washington County Detention Center 25 times for various reasons, including public indecency, according to booking records since 1993 available on the Sheriff's Office computer system.
A Washington County jur y deliberated for less than 30 minutes on May 22 before convicting Holland of indecent exposure in an appeal of a conviction in West Fork District Court.
Fourth Judicial District Judge William Storey sentenced Holland to six months in the county jail and fined him $ 1, 000. Holland filed an appeal of the conviction and was out on a $ 5, 000 appeal bond when he was arrested Monday.
Patricia Hampton of Prairie Grove testified in the trial that she was traveling north on U. S. 62 near Summers when she witnessed Holland standing nude on his front porch while fondling himself on two different mornings in April 2007.
The prosecution's case included allegations against Holland on April 18 and April 24 in 2007, but Hampton testified that she had called in so many times to report Holland that "it's hard to distinguish which times he was doing what."
"He has done it many times," she told the jury. "I quit calling on him when he was wearing women's lingerie."
Holland has appealed misdemeanor convictions of indecent exposure from lower cour ts three other times in Washington County Circuit Court - in 1992, 1994 and 1996 - according to court records.
He also pleaded guilty in November 2000 to charges of outraging public decency in Adair County, Okla., according to court records.
Holland remains in the Washington County jail. His appeal bond is expected to be revoked.
FEEDBACK:
Something to say about this topic? Submit a Letter to the Editor online
