Thomas WootenPolice were able to identify a man who allegedly exposed himself to multiple children last week by using phone location data and comparing descriptions of the suspect with a list of registered sex offenders.
Officers first responded to the 100 block of Ochs Highway on May 1 on a report of indecent exposure, according to court documents. When they arrived, a woman told officers that her 5 and 7-year-old daughters said a man had tried to lure them into his truck before exposing his genitals to them.
Witnesses said the suspect was a white male with orangish blonde hair driving a black Chevrolet Silverado, matching the description given in several other recent indecent exposure cases. Based on that description, officers identified Thomas Wooten, 35, as a person of interest and one of the girls picked Wooten out of a photo lineup.
Wooten was interviewed by authorities the following week and waived his right to counsel, but then asked for a lawyer so police seized his phone to prevent its location data from being wiped. Investigators confirmed later that Wooten was at the scene of the crime at the appropriate time by reviewing GPS data on the phone.
He has been charged with two counts of solicitation of a minor, two counts of indecent exposure and violation of the sex offender registry. His next court appearance is scheduled for May 22 before General Sessions Judge Lila Statom.