A man with a history of exposing himself to women in public was sentenced to five years in prison Thursday, Sept. 29.
Shawn L. Brown, 42, pleaded guilty in Richmond County Superior Court to two felony counts of public indecency. Because Brown have previously been convicted twice of public indecency, the crimes committed in 2019 and 2021 were felony offenses punishable by one to five years.
In Brown’s criminal history are two convictions for public indecency in 2012, and three more convictions in South Carolina in 2013 and 2014, said Assistant District Attorney Sarah Strickland.
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According to court records, Brown was sentenced to 12 months in jail in 2008 for exposing himself to three women at the Department of Labor in 2007, although he was allowed to plead guilty for trespassing and disorderly conduct instead of public indecency. In the 2012 cases, he was sentenced to probation and the judge declined to revoke his probation when he was arrested again for indecent exposure in 2013 and 2014 in South Carolina.
In Georgia until 1991, public indecency was only a misdemeanor regardless of how many times anyone was arrested for repeated indecent exposure. The law was changed in response to the multiple arrests of Edward Fredericks of Columbia County who repeatedly exposed himself to children. Fredericks plead guilty in 1994 to eight counts of public indecency and was sentenced to 12 years in prison, although a judge reduced his sentence by half after the fact. Chief Judge Daniel J. Craig was district attorney at the time of Fredericks’ re-sentencing, which he appealed and lost.
It was Craig who sentenced Brown Thursday.
Brown pleaded guilty Thursday to public indecency for exposing himself to a Region’s Bank employee on Nov. 24, 2021, and a second charge for exposing himself to a Starbuck’s customer on March 17, 2019. Both businesses are on Peach Orchard Road.
The victim of the November 2021 crime told the judge Thursday that the experience was traumatizing. She had loved her job but quit after Brown’s crime. “I would have felt better if it had been a real robbery.” It was like a robbery because he stole a sense of security.
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Defense attorney Pete Theodocion said Brown knows the behavior is unacceptable and he has sought help. It is believed the behavior stems from a childhood trauma, and it is controlled with therapy and medication now.
Brown is married with a baby and is steadily employed, Theodocion said.
Brown told the judge that it has been embarrassing for him and his family.
“I’m just trying to get my life on track,” he said.
Sandy Hodson is a staff reporter covering courts for The Augusta Press. Reach her at sandy@theaugustapress.com.
