Broken Arrow Lifeguard, 17, Arrested For Exposing Himself At City Pool

Broken Arrow police confirm that a 17-year-old city employee was taken into custody Saturday for exposing and fondling himself at a city swimming pool.

The teen was taken to the Tulsa County Juvenile Detention Center on an indecent exposure complaint, according to police.

News On 6 first learned of the incident from parents who said their daughters were victims of the teenage flasher at the city-owned pool at Nienhuis Park.

One mother wrote in saying the girls, all under the age of 11, were playing at the pool when a juvenile male lifeguard exposed himself to them.

Police confirmed that it happened in the 3000 block of North Ninth Street at the park's aquatic center.

The pool manager would not comment on the matter and directed media to the city's legal department.

The mother of one of the girls said she wasn't happy with the way the lifeguards initially handled the incident.

"We asked him three or four times: 'How has this been handled? What did you do to handle it?'" Christi Hopper said. "And the guy said, 'We talked to him and it's handled.' That's when we demanded they call the police or we will."

"I was shocked," pool patron Lori Farrell said. "It makes me nervous what kind of people are working and watching over people's kids."

Farrell said the news of a lifeguard being arrested for exposing himself is troubling to her.

"I'm really just shocked because we bring her here every week, at least once a week, and I usually see [lifeguards] doing a good job," she said.

The next time Hopper takes her kids to the pool, she'll be more watchful of her daughter, she said.

"I don't want it to, but most definitely will because I don't know what they'll be exposed to," Hopper said.

As a mother, she has to now explain to her daughter what happened.

Hopper said she'll tell her child "that it's not OK. It's not normal that somebody does this. He was arrested because he committed a crime."