Four elderly men charged in Danbury with having public sex

Patsy Barbato Patsy Barbato Photo: / Contributed Photo: / Contributed Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close Four elderly men charged in Danbury with having public sex 1 / 5 Back to Gallery

DANBURY — Four elderly men were charged with indecent exposure this week after having sex in a commuter parking lot off Mill Plain Road, police said.

According to a statement released Friday, the four men were taken into custody after a several-day investigation that began after receiving “numerous” complaints from area residents about activity in the area of the Mill Plain Road commuter parking lot and the Farrington Woods Recreational Park, a public park that includes hiking trails as well as canoe and kayaking opportunities.

Police said members of the city’s Community Conditions Unit set up surveillance to monitor the area in question, and over the course of several days arrested four men for engaging in sexual activity in a public place. Three of the men were from New York state, while one of the men arrested is from New Milford. All four were charged with public indecency.

Those charged were Patsy Barbato, 77, of Somers, Michael Melnick, 85 of Brewster, Stuart Sherr, 72 of Ossining, and Jay Doyle, 67, of New Milford. Barbato and Melnick are expected to appear at the state Superior Court in Danbury on July 13, while Doyle is scheduled to appear on July 11, and Sher is slated to appear on July 7.

All of the men were released from custody on $500 cash bonds or written promises to appear in court.