Burnsville Man Sentenced to 90 Days for Public Masturbation

A Burnsville man who told police that he was “in heat” after masturbating in front of a man and his young daughter will have three months to cool off Dakota County Jail.

On May 21, Judge David Knutson sentenced 26-year-old Anthony Wayne Smith to 90 days in jail, with credit for two, as well as two years of supervised probation, $915 in fines and fees in addition to restitution. He will also be obliged to submit to a sex offender treatment program, chemical dependency treatment, polygraphs tests and and random audits of all computers he uses. 

According to the original criminal complaint against Smith, police were called to a home on Brookview Drive just after 5:30 p.m. May 9, 2012 on a report of indecent exposure.

Officers met with a man and his daughter, who said they were playing basketball outside their home when Smith, wearing only bicycle shorts, approached.

Smith had his hand inside his pants and was masturbating, the man told police. He said when he initially saw Smith approaching, he thought little of it until he saw the look on his daughter’s face and realized what Smith was doing.

The man sent his daughter inside.

The man said he took Smith by the shoulder and led him to the curb to sit down, then called police and waited with Smith until officers arrived.

While they waited, Smith apologized to the man, but told him he was “in heat,” according to the complaint.

When police arrived, they asked Smith what happened. Smith admitted exposing his penis, but apologized and said again, “I’m in heat,” the complaint says. Smith’s bicycle shorts and legs were wet, and it appeared that he had “been in a pond or soiled himself,” according to the complaint.

Smith was arrested and taken to a hospital for evaluation. En route, he continued to talk to himself, referring to “a dog in heat” and apologizing for “doing that in front of kids,” the complaint says.