Typhoon Lagoon Arrests

[WDWKOOK]

Susan Jacobson
Sentinel Staff Writer
12:18 AM EDT, July 17, 2009

A man is being investigated on sex-related charges after visiting an Orlando-area water park, the fifth such incident in a month.

David Thomas, 29, of Mountlake Terrace, Wash., was arrested late Thursday on a charge of lewd molestation. A 13-year-old boy told his father that Thomas touched his buttocks through swim trunks in a wave pool at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon, said Sgt. Rich Mankewich, head of the Orange County sheriff's sex-crimes unit.

It's the third arrest in less than two weeks on sex charges related to behavior at Typhoon Lagoon.

Thursday about 5 p.m., the father and a lifeguard saw Thomas touch five other adolescent boys, but none complained to deputies, Mankewich said.

Thomas was on vacation from his Seattle suburb with a 15-year-old boy with whom he has lived for a year and known for five years. The teen was doing poorly in school, so his mother thought it would be good for him to live with Thomas, a family friend, Mankewich said.

Detectives plan to charge Thomas today with one count of molestation of the 15-year-old. The two had been staying at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort for a week. The Florida Department of Children and Families took custody of the youth, who will be returned to his mother.

Thomas, who investigators said works at Amazon.com, admitted touching boys at Typhoon Lagoon as an "experiment" and because he was "curious," Mankewich said. He offered to write letters of apology to the children but would not discuss the 15-year-old.

Thomas told detectives he was molested himself as a child. He was taken to the Orange County Jail about 10:45 p.m. and will be held without bail until a court hearing today.

On Saturday, a 51-year-old man blamed his tight bathing suit for causing him to expose himself to a 14-year-old girl at Typhoon Lagoon, deputies said. Bradford Biggers, who has an Orlando address but was said to live in Connecticut, was arrested on a charge of lewd or lascivious exhibition to a minor.

Also at Typhoon Lagoon, a 51-year-old Farmington, N.Y., man was arrested July 3 on a lewd or lascivious molestation charge on a girl.

Also, witnesses told deputies that a man fondled himself at Disney's Blizzard beach in recent months. No one was arrested.

 

[Peter Pirate 2]

The term 'Happiest Place on Earth' is taking on a whole new meaning it seems. I, again, have to wonder if CM cutbacks is fostering the bravery of these perverts? But whatever it is, Disney, Sea World and WnW better get their act together quick.

 

[ROEDISNEY]

What is going on in this world today ? This is very sad. You go to Disney to have the time of your life and have to deal with this BS. You can't blame Disney cause this can happen any where any time.
To many wack jobs in this world anymore.

 

[11290]

My daughter was a CM / coordinator at Typhoon for 4 years in the 1990's and she said this happened several times back then but the media never bothered to report it like they do now. Now this kind of thing is sensationalized in the news.

I was a security supervisor at a hospital for about 4 years before I moved down here to Orlando and I can tell you, it has to be VERY difficult at waterparks to be able to see all of this and also to be able to have enough fact of the charge to be able to arrest and prosecute someone. Just the ability to be able to decide whether someone in the wave pool is actually molesting someone or is just caught up in the wave trying to right themselves and accidentally touching someone would be very difficult to discern sometimes.

When you make an accusation you have to be VERY sure of yourself as the liability can be very damaging to you and your company, no matter Disney, Univeral, Sea World or any other. I'm not trying to say it shouldn't be pursued but you really have to be sure and also to be very careful what you accuse someone of doing. Puts people in very difficult positions.

 

[Peter Pirate 2]

My daughter was a CM / coordinator at Typhoon for 4 years in the 1990's and she said this happened several times back then but the media never bothered to report it like they do now. Now this kind of thing is sensationalized in the news.

I was a security supervisor at a hospital for about 4 years before I moved down here to Orlando and I can tell you, it has to be VERY difficult at waterparks to be able to see all of this and also to be able to have enough fact of the charge to be able to arrest and prosecute someone. Just the ability to be able to decide whether someone in the wave pool is actually molesting someone or is just caught up in the wave trying to right themselves and accidentally touching someone would be very difficult to discern sometimes.

When you make an accusation you have to be VERY sure of yourself as the liability can be very damaging to you and your company, no matter Disney, Univeral, Sea World or any other. I'm not trying to say it shouldn't be pursued but you really have to be sure and also to be very careful what you accuse someone of doing. Puts people in very difficult positions.

Great post. It has to be difficult to discern intentions most of the time and I'm sure much innocent although 'personal' touching does go on what with the tossing about of people in the wave pool but most of these guys lately seem to be brazen. So sad.

 

[gymnastgirlflips]

Yeah, you can't blame Disney or any other company for not being able to do much about this. I'm just sad that you do have to worry when you're going on vacation for fun and something like that can happen to you.