Police: Suspicious behavior at North Utica pool

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Police: Suspicious behavior at North Utica pool

WKTV News

Story Created: Jul 22, 2008 at 6:36 PM EDT

Story Updated: Jul 22, 2008 at 6:36 PM EDT

UTICA - A man was spotted looking through a fence at children swimming at the Seymour Pool in North Utica.
    
The man was questioned by a pool employee and then left.

It is unknown at this point if any crime was committed.

The man is described as white, 5'10" to 6'3", in his late 30's or late 40's, with a thin build, salt and pepper hair, glasses and driving a black mid-sized pick up truck with a silver-stripe along the side.
          
Whitestown Police say they have been in contact with the UPD after a similar incident at a Whitestown daycare center last week.  They could not confirm or deny at this time whether the two incidents are connected.

Thursday, Jul 24 at 10:32 AM mike wrote ...

hey look at me im staring at kids ok now judge me people maybe the guy was thinkin bout having kids and wanted to see if he was ready i do applaud the employee for doin their job safety first

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Thursday, Jul 24 at 10:28 AM cheeks wrote ...

why are people jumping to conclusions when they dont know anything seriously folks dont judge too quickly actually dont judge at all thats gods doin

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Thursday, Jul 24 at 9:34 AM Chris boyfriend wrote ...

I agree with Chris he is real smart and up on everything(including me) He has a GED and knows everything ,way to go little boy!

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Thursday, Jul 24 at 6:35 AM ANUSBLOGS wrote ...

OK time to move on trailer people!

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Thursday, Jul 24 at 5:17 AM wow wrote ...

Hopefully everyone who posted stupid "WOW WE REALLY SHOULD PROTECT OUR KIDS" comments saw the news about him being innocent, you all need help if you're that paranoid with your "oh no" mob mentality.

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Wednesday, Jul 23 at 4:29 PM harley wrote ...

may instead of investing money in a sub-station 1/2 mile from head quarters and cameras on verick st they should put cameras at the play grounds and pools to protect our children.

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Wednesday, Jul 23 at 4:15 PM Donna wrote ...

Someone should check the OD site, the guy at the pool has come forward, committed no crime, etc. So the two incidents were not related.

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Wednesday, Jul 23 at 4:12 PM a single mom wrote ...

the descriptions of both incidents are almost identical and people are joking about this! most people don't go to a pool or park just to watch the kids unless they have children there or are babysitting. i would not have my children in a pool or at a park by themselves EVER!!! and I sure wouldn't be watching them through a fence like Jude does with his kids. I would be in the pool so nothing bad would happen. WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!

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Wednesday, Jul 23 at 2:35 PM reality check wrote ...

The incidents aren't a hoax. It just isn't looking at kids it is a planned process to take a young boy. It is happening and needs to be seen as a reality. The children need to be safe and sick people need to stay away from children. It needs to be out there and parents need to be fighting for the safety of all children. It needs to be dealt with in a manner so the person is caught and no children are harmed. Safety is the main objective. If you were there, you would know that feeling.

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Wednesday, Jul 23 at 12:51 PM Meoff wrote ...

hmmmmmm, public pool were kids swim.... Perfect place for those kind of guys to hang out.. After all there isn't a donut shop near by so would the police hang out there... DUH, Come on UPD wake up and do you job. Have a car over there when they are open. Stop pulling over all the good looking young girls and flirting with them..Besides must of you are married...

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Wednesday, Jul 23 at 12:46 PM Sarah wrote ...

Better safe than sorry. In this world I would much rather be proactive than have to look for a missing child.

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Wednesday, Jul 23 at 11:41 AM Marcy Mom wrote ...

I copied the link on this page and sent an e-mail to all the mom's I knwo. Just in case they missed it. Also, I am going to talk to the kids tonight AGAIN about stranger danger. Something you obviously can not go over often enough!

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Wednesday, Jul 23 at 11:28 AM chris wrote ...

as I'm reading the comments here I realize how ignorant our society is. If someone had spotted Lewis Lent suspicious activity and reported it, maybe Sara would still be here.

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Wednesday, Jul 23 at 11:22 AM Lou Canofpeas wrote ...

It was me! I work for the city, I'm the water shoe inspector

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Wednesday, Jul 23 at 11:20 AM Anonymous wrote ...

I cannot believe in this day in age that some people can be so dismissive about such a serious situation! We aren't talking about our children... You're right, it's not a crime to look at a child through a fence swimming, but it is a crime to try and take someone's child from daycare or stalk a child. Get your head out of the clouds and wake up before something bad happens!!!!

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Wednesday, Jul 23 at 11:08 AM concerned parent wrote ...

why is there not more information on the news/web about these incidents. everyone in the area should be looking for this man. People wont wake up until something actually happens. right?!! just ridiculous

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Wednesday, Jul 23 at 10:35 AM WAKE UP wrote ...

It really doesn't matter, no big deal. Especially when Utica Family Court Judges, "Griffith", think that a child is better off with the Aunt, who is married to a sex offender, and the father of the child, deadbeat non working, non-educated, than the mother who is in the military, and the childs court appointed law guardian, "Cohen", doesn't see anything wrong with it either. So what wrong with a little peeping?

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Wednesday, Jul 23 at 10:08 AM get a grip wrote ...

someone was staring at kids through a fence, who DIDNT have a kid there, the SAME guy tried to take a kid frome daycare, and word is he may have been spotted at a park now also. regardless, its WEIRD. GROWN men have no business trying to hang w/ take or stare at little kids that they dont know. REGAURDLESS of what ever any one of you say its ALWAYS BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY! I know I wouldnt appreciate ANY STRANGER MAN OR WOMEN stareing at my kid, ever, anywheres.

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Wednesday, Jul 23 at 10:06 AM Anonymous wrote ...

Nice description. Who the heck is the person who described him? They should either get their eyes checked or their short term memory. Whomever this guy is, he is safe cause no one will ever recognize him by that description.

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Wednesday, Jul 23 at 10:03 AM Robin wrote ...

We all need to be aware what is happening with our children. I am glad this is being looked into. If this wasn't reported and something happened people would be saying why didn't anyone do anything about it. Come on, get your head out of the sand and realize this is the society we live in. I am glad people are aware.

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Wednesday, Jul 23 at 9:40 AM keep kids safe wrote ...

the incident at the daycare and the incident at the pool are related. The man at the daycare asked for a specific child by name. According to the article in the OD, the man at the pool also asked for a specific child by name. He was doing more than look through the fence.

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Wednesday, Jul 23 at 9:20 AM j wrote ...

to all of you offended by this story---you must not have young children! There is more to this story, he did specifically ask for a child by name. He clearly didn't belong there and if you find that offensive too bad!! If you have nothing to hide you have no reason to worry, but let's all be aware and keep our children safe. I'd much rather question a suspicious person than have my child missing.

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Wednesday, Jul 23 at 8:54 AM Da Mayor wrote ...

Thats my cousin Joe, we hired him to check on water shoes!

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Wednesday, Jul 23 at 8:25 AM Tracy wrote ...

In reference to jude's comment. Are you kidding me? Why not be safe instead of sorry? Obviously you have no children. Its a big world out there to have to look for a missing child. Get real!

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Wednesday, Jul 23 at 8:22 AM Al wrote ...

What wasn't in this story is when they went to talk to the man he fled. How naive are you to see this IS a problem. All you who say "Oh, I better not look at kids or watch my kids swim" are out of your minds! It's time you realize there are some crazies out there and unfortunately you have to teach your kids to recognize abnormal behavior at a young age.

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Wednesday, Jul 23 at 8:09 AM Dana wrote ...

we need to catch this guy. apparently he is looking to abduct a child.. GROW UP PEOPLE it isn't about a person looking through a fence it is about the safety of our children.. Help catch him!!!!

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Wednesday, Jul 23 at 7:25 AM Concerned wrote ...

"All it takes to be a suspected molester" ARE YOU KIDDING?!?! Same description @ a daycare in whitesboro AND a park AND a pool looking for kids COME ON WAKE UP! everyone lets be on the look out and get this guy before he gets one of our kids

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Wednesday, Jul 23 at 7:03 AM jude wrote ...

People look through the fence at Addison Miller all the time and no one considers them a criminal for doing so. Next time my child is swimming there, I'll have to remember not to look. Would standing with my back to the fence be okay or would that be considered a threat as well? The incident at daycare was way off, but this one is just really alarmist.

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Wednesday, Jul 23 at 5:38 AM I Believe wrote ...

There is more to this story...he actually DID try to take a child asking for the child by name....PLEASE make your children aware and on alert.

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Wednesday, Jul 23 at 4:09 AM EVERYONE IS DOING A GOOD JOB wrote ...

It sounds like the 2 incidents of late may be related. Whether it is a crime or not, suspicious behavior is suspicious behavior. Safety is being PROACTIVE not reactive. Both men, white, in their 30's, driving a black pick up truck! Please don't listen to the naysayers on on this site, your keeping our children safe - thank God for you. Lastly, if I was a mom at that swimming pool and I saw a man watching the children through the fence, ya, it would creep me out. You all deserve a raise!!

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Tuesday, Jul 22 at 11:40 PM lee wrote ...

someone is looking for a very young boy .We need to catch him .This is a wake up call.

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Tuesday, Jul 22 at 11:20 PM Last I knew wrote ...

it wasn't a crime to look through a fence. Unreal how things get blown out of proportion these days.

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Tuesday, Jul 22 at 10:42 PM RON wrote ...

ARE YOU KIDDING ME, LETS REPORT THE REAL NEWS AND NOT SOME BULL ABOUT A PERSON LOOKING THROUGH A FENCE. OH YEA, I FORGOT THATS A CRIME... RIGHT? I KNOW ITS HARD TO TRUST PEOPLE NOWADAYS, BUT WE HAVE TO GIVE PEOPLE A CHANCE! WHY WAS HE THERE? NO ONE KNOWS. HE PROBABLY WAS GOING TO ABDUCT ONE OF THEM KIDS, RIGHT? THINK ABOUT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Tuesday, Jul 22 at 10:42 PM pat wrote ...

wow is that all it takes to be a suspected child molester...remind me never too look at kids...ever

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Tuesday, Jul 22 at 9:34 PM eyes wrote ...

We need to be especially aware of what is going on around our children! This man is obviously sick. He needs to be caught before he does something horrible! I can't even imagine what he is thinking.

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Tuesday, Jul 22 at 9:17 PM SueEllen wrote ...

This guy needs to be caught. I also heard he was seen at the Gibson Road park over in Whitestown. Anybody hear anything about that one?

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Tuesday, Jul 22 at 7:31 PM lene wrote ...

If these incidents are related, we as parents need to be sure that our children know about safety but also that our child care providers pay special attention to those who arrive to pick up children, and if they are unsure they must ask for ID. Let's catch this person.

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Tuesday, Jul 22 at 7:15 PM tom wrote ...

No offense at any one individual but someone should have gotten a plate number even if it meant going out of their way to do it. That is one of the first things I was taught as a child and I taught my own children as well. Get their plate number!!!!

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Tuesday, Jul 22 at 7:00 PM Sue wrote ...

WE NEED TO CATCH HIM

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