OKC Man Arrested For Lewd Acts At Kids' Splash Park

Monday, June 30th 2014, 6:46 pm

By: News 9

An Oklahoma City man is arrested on a complaint of lewd acts to a child after watching kids playing at splash pads.

Police said Kenneth Thompson did it for sexual gratification. It happened at two different parks and officers caught up with Thompson thanks to watchful parents.

The first incident happened at NW 16th St. and Meridian on May 29. The arrest warrant said Thompson was sitting on a bench watching the kids.

Police checked him out and said Thompson told them, "As long as I don't molest one of them, I'm OK."

"I think that's pretty horrendous. It's kind of scary," said Jason Tan, a parent at the park.

Police said he agreed to leave the park.

"We look at the parking lot to see if there is anybody sitting in the cars or just somebody suspicious and we just watch out for our kids," said Tan.

On June 24, Thompson showed up at a splash park near SW 46th and Youngs Blvd. The warrant said he stayed in his van and according to a witness, Thompson watched the kids playing for nearly three hours. The warrant said he had a floor mat across his lap covering his legs and groin while his hands were also under the floor mat. The witness called 911.

"I'm scared. I'm really scared because sometimes my son gets out to play and I'm really scared," said nearby resident, Erica Leon.

When officers questioned Thompson, the warrant said he told them, "I like to watch the water. It calms me."

They asked about the floor mat and he said he was cleaning ketchup off of it.

"I see a lot of parents when they come here. They are glued right to their phones and that's it," said Tan. "[I] just hope that more parents would be aware of their surroundings and the people around them."

If convicted, Thompson would be required to register as a sex offender.

A new law takes effect in November that bans registered sex offenders from entering a park or playground, or even loitering within 500 feet of a park or playground.