Man suspected of lewdness on USU campus arrested with 131 pornographic photos
Cache County UT July 7 2022
A man suspected of lewdness and placing “pornographic” images on vehicles parked at Utah State University was arrested Sunday, according to authorities.
Anderson Bectemba Barnes, 44, was booked into the Cache County Jail on suspicion of third-degree possession of a firearm by a restricted person as well as misdemeanor counts of lewdness and distribution of an intimate image.
Court records indicate Barnes was ordered to be held without bail. Formal charges have yet to be filed.
USU police released a statement on June 29 asking the public for help in identifying a man who was suspected of attaching “pornographic material” to vehicles with tape and exposing himself on campus.
On Sunday, according to an affidavit filed with the 1st District Court, officers located a man later identified as Barnes by a bus stop on campus. A plastic bag was located nearby containing around 10 folded images similar to those that had been taped to the vehicles. Police wrote a search warrant was obtained for a backpack believed to have belonged to the man; officers found 131 folded papers “with similar images and texts with sexual references” and “a loaded 9mm hand gun” in the bag.
A search warrant for the man’s residence was also executed and clothes matching those seen in surveillance footage were found.
According to the affidavit, a woman reported finding a piece of paper taped to her vehicle while parked on USU’s campus on June 17. Police wrote the paper was folded and contained “an image of an erect penis as well as other photos and texts with sexual references.”
Surveillance footage from the date of the alleged incident depicted a man entering USU property, changing clothes and exposing himself, according to the affidavit. Nearly two hours later, police wrote, the man was observed in footage purportedly touching the alleged victim’s car. He then changed back into his original clothes and left an hour and 45 minutes later, police wrote.
On June 25, according to the affidavit, it was reported to police that another individual was driving and possibly observed a man exposing himself. Police wrote surveillance footage depicted the man exposing himself while changing his clothes. He later changed clothes again and left campus, police wrote.
A day later, according to police, the man was seen again by the same individual. This time the person parked, entered a campus building, police wrote, and returned to find a similar folded image taped to the front door of the vehicle.
Surveillance footage showed the man attaching the paper to the vehicle door, according to the affidavit. About an hour later, police wrote, changed his clothes and left campus.
When contacted by police, the affidavit states Barnes gave a different name to investigating officers. The name given was listed as an alias for Barnes out of the state of California, police wrote, and a package addressed to Barnes was located at his Cache Valley residence.
When shown “photos from the video,” police wrote Barnes confirmed he was the male depicted.
While Barnes has no prior charges in Utah, police wrote his criminal history outside the state restricts him from having a firearm.
