Three more charged with park sex activity

By Elisa Glushefski

Published: June 20, 2008

Three more men have been charged in connection with an ongoing investigation into complaints of criminal sexual activity at Locust Shade Park in Triangle that has netted a total of eight arrests and 17 criminal charges, Prince William County police said Wednesday.

The first round of arrests came at the start of May during two separate sting operations in which five men, four from Stafford and one from Dumfries, were arrested for allegedly soliciting sex from plainclothes detectives with the police department’s street crimes unit.

In the most recent sting that took place between noon and 5:30 p.m. June 12, the following arrests and charges were made:

• Charles R. Randall, 57, of 94 Enon Road in Fredericksburg, was charged with solicitation for crimes against na-ture. He was held in lieu of a $2,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court July 28, according to police.

• Paul A. Cupka Jr., 50, of 410 Wind Ridge Drive in Stafford, was charged with obscene sexual display and indecent exposure. He was held in lieu of a $2,000 bond and has an Aug. 25 court date, police said.
• Edwin G. Lowther, 41, of 2898 Cedar Crest Court in Lake Ridge, was charged with obscene sexual display and indecent exposure. He was released on a $6,000 bond, Richardson said, and has an Aug. 25 court date.

The alleged incidents have occurred primarily in men’s public restrooms and parking lots near restrooms, Richardson said.

“Police officers are concerned that Locust Shade and other county parks are apparently being identified as places to meet and carry out illegal activities,” Richardson said.

Historically, she said, Conway Robinson State Forest has been a problem spot for similar activities.

Police will continue special enforcement operations related to the issue at Locust Shade and other parks throughout the county during the summer months, Richardson said.

Dianne Cabot, a spokeswoman for the Prince William County Park Authority, said park rangers will be increasing both foot and vehicle patrols through the parks.

“Obviously, we have some concerns about any individual that comes into our park that is loitering and not there for what we consider the normal use of the park,” Cabot said. “Safety is absolutely our number one issue.

“This is not an uncommon situation for any kind of park,” she added. “There is a tendency toward people misusing their privileges at a park.”

Elisa Glushefski is a staff writer at Media General’s Potomac News & Manassas Journal Messenger.