Brooklyn Park city employee on leave while facing indecent exposure charges
A Brooklyn Park city employee is facing charges that he exposed himself while minors were in the area and able to see him.
Court records show that 53-year-old William Bernard Anderson has been charged with one count of fifth-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of indecent exposure in the presence of a minor under 16 on Sept. 22.
A spokesperson for the City of Brooklyn Park confirmed that Anderson is a senior project manager for the city and has been placed on paid administrative leave.
According to a criminal complaint, Anderson’s neighbor called Brooklyn Park police after observing Anderson engaging in a sexual act on his porch.
Anderson was videotaped just outside the front door of his property in addition to just inside the door, which is completely transparent, the complaint added.
Anderson’s house is on a block with a cul-de-sac where neighbors with young kids had no choice but to walk past Anderson while he was exposed and engaged in the act.
The complaint states that neighbors told law enforcement Anderson had done the same thing outside several times before.
According to Anderson’s LinkedIn account, he has served as the City of Brooklyn Park’s program manager for the economic development and housing division since March 2022.
The city is conducting an internal investigation to determine if there have been violations of city policies or codes of conduct, the spokesperson told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS.
The spokesperson for Brooklyn Park added the following in a statement:
“Our employees are instrumental in delivering essential services to our residents, and we are fully committed to efficiently managing any temporary staffing adjustments to uphold service levels. We’re committed to serving the needs of our community and preserving the trust residents place in us. As we proceed with our internal investigation, we will keep the public informed of its progress to the extent possible, while respecting the necessity for confidentiality in personnel matters.”
Anderson is not in custody but is due in court for a first appearance on Oct. 2 at 1:30 p.m.
The charges, both gross misdemeanors, each carry a maximum penalty of up to 364 days in jail and a $3,000 fine.