Update: Man Accused of Paying Teens to Spit in Face Acquitted
The Thousand Oaks man faced child annoyance charges
Ventura County
Charles Hersel
A 39-year-old Thousand Oaks man was arrested for misdemeanor child annoyance after allegedly paying a teenager $31 to spit in his face, according to the Ventura County Sheriff's Department.
[UPDATE] On February 7, 2012, Charles Hersel was found not guilty of child annoyance charges.
Ventura County authorities said the man, whose was identified as Charles Hersel, paid Westlake High School male students to yell profanities at him and slap and spit in his face.
"It didn't take long for word to spread among local teens that they could get paid to spit in a man's face," Capt. Frank O'Hanlon told the LA Times.
And there's more. Investigators said several teens also alleged the man offered them money to urinate and defecate on him.
The man connected with the teens through MySpace. He was booked into Ventura County Jail, then released on a promise to appear in court.
The man was arrested Wednesday in an undercover operation at the Westlake Promenade Mall.
Police said a motive was not clear.
Editor's Note: This story was originally posted in November 2009. It has been updated to reflect the outcome of the court case.
