Texas Man Arrested for Photographing High School Girls

Dennis L. Brown, 55, of Tyler. (Photo courtesy Tyler Police Dept.)

Legal News of the Wierd: Dennis Brown, 55, was arrested in August in Tyler, Texas, after police saw him taking pictures, surreptitiously, of women and high school girls near Robert E. Lee High School. Since people in public spaces generally have no legal expectation of privacy, Brown could not normally be charged with a crime. However, Brown admitted to police that the mundane photos of the clothed women were for his sexual enjoyment. He was perhaps unaware of a Texas Penal Code provision that requires consent for any type of photo of another person if it is for “sexual gratification” (a motive that, regarding ordinary photographs, is nearly impossible to prove — unless the accused volunteers it). [Tyler Morning Telegraph, 8-10-2012]