SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. (WKRC) – A man was taken into custody after he allegedly groped a woman, then exposed himself at a place of worship on Sunday.
According to WESH, 47-year-old Robert Winter, a convicted sexual predator, was arrested after authorities said he sexually battered a woman and exposed himself at Hindu Society of Central Florida in Seminole County, Florida.
The outlet obtained transcripts of a 911 call tied to the incident, with the caller reportedly telling dispatchers, “There’s a guy that’s groping women here, and he’s doing racist remarks. Uh-oh. Now, he’s stripping.”
Arrest documents reviewed by WESH reportedly state that the suspect approached a female worker from behind and groped her. Witnesses later told deputies that Winter then “stripped down his pants, exposing himself, while continuing to make racial slurs.”
Witnesses at the temple told law enforcement they followed Winter into the parking lot, where responding deputies confronted him. The suspect reportedly entered his vehicle, then immediately reversed before driving forward, but was blocked by a deputy.
“Uh-oh. He’s running now. He jumped into the pond,” a witness reportedly told the 911 dispatcher, according to WESH.
After allegedly fleeing deputies, the suspect dove headfirst into the pond, then reportedly yelled profanities and spat at temple staff while he was being trespassed.
Winter was arrested and charged with the following, according to WESH:
- Resisting an officer without violence
- Fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement
During his first court appearance on Monday, Winter was present but did not appear on camera, with an official reportedly stating, “Your Honor, he’s present. I can’t show him at all because he [doesn’t] have any clothes on.”
The report notes that Winter was on probation at the time of the alleged incidents. He was previously convicted of three counts of lewd or lascivious molestation of a child and one count of lewd or lascivious battery of a child in 2014. He spent more than nine years behind bars.
