Randy Kaufman—a Republican candidate for the Maricopa County Community College Governing Board—was arrested on a charge of public sexual indecency after he was allegedly caught masturbing outside a preschool while children were playing.
According to the official police report by the Maricopa County Community College Police, an officer saw Kaufman masturbating in his pickup truck in the parking lot of the community college district's Rio Salado Lifelong Learning Center in Surprise, Arizona.
The report notes Kaufman was looking at content on his cellphone with his pants down:
“[Kaufman] appeared to be looking at a cell phone in one hand."
"I immediately became alarmed as I saw [Kaufman] had his pants down mid-thigh and was exposed showing his fully erect nude penis."
"[Kaufman] was manipulating his genitals in a masturbatory manner.”
The arresting officer said Kaufman was in view of a nearby bicyclist and a preschool where children were playing outside.
You can watch news coverage of the incident below.
Maricopa College Board candidate arrested for alleged sexual indecencywww.youtube.com
When caught, Kaufman apologized, telling the officer:
"I f**ked up. I'm really stressed."
He claimed he did not know there was a preschool nearby at the time he chose to masturbate in public.
Kaufman's arrest is particularly noteworthy because he has written social media posts claiming he wants “our children protected [from] the progressive left.”
Many have condemned Kaufman's actions and pointed out his hypocrisy.
Though at the moment facing a single charge of sexual indecency, Kaufman could face felony charges in short order because of his proximity to the preschool at the time of his arrest. Shortly after his arrest, he announced he was suspending his campaign for the governing board due to a "personal legal matter."
In an official statement, Kaufman said he is "sincerely grateful for the supporters and friends I have gathered throughout the campaign" and vowed to "never stop fighting to protect the United States Constitution and the values that make America the greatest country in the world."
Though Kaufman suspended his campaign, it is apparently too late to remove his name from official ballots, according to the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office, and some people have already participated in early voting.
The Maricopa County Elections Department has not received an official Statement of Withdrawal from Kaufman, which needs to be signed and notarized. A department spokeswoman confirmed that even if he did file the paperwork, it would be too late to remove his name from the ballot.
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