A transient Fort Myers man will spend six years in prison after a jury convicted him in May for exposing himself at a park while a child played nearby.
Lee Circuit Judge Thomas Reese on July 16 sentenced Anthony Maniscalco, 46, for an indecent exposure that authorities said happened last year at Winkler Park.
Reese sentenced Maniscalco for separate offenses of unlawful exposure of his sexual organs and resisting an officer with violence. It is the maximum sentence allowable by law on those charges, the State Attorney’s Office said in a news release.
On June 18, 2024, Fort Myers Police officers responded to the park and spoke with a witness, who said she and her daughter went to the park to play.
The child proceeded to middle apparatus of the playground while the mother sat on a nearby bench, approximately 10 feet away.
When Maniscalco sat at the second bench, the parent told authorities how Maniscalco began to move “in a funny way”. At first, she said, she thought Maniscalco was “vibing” to the music coming from a nearby apartment complex.
Then, the parent realized Maniscalco had a closed fist over his private area for about 10 minutes.
The family then switched to a swing at the park.
Police said Maniscalco left the area in his bicycle. Officers found him at a nearby shopping plaza.
Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Threads @tomasfrobeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran, Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews and Bluesky @tomasfrodriguez.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Transient Fort Myers man gets prison for inappropriate behavior toward child
Reporting by Tomas Rodriguez, Fort Myers News-Press / Fort Myers News-Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
