Naked Man in Cemetery Was Trying to Photograph Spirits

By Laura Strachan, Esq. on December 20, 2010 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Stupid was the word a naked man in a cemetery used to describe his late night escapades. Illegal could have been an equally appropriate adjective. That's because 47-year-old Robert Hurst was caught by motion-activated cameras in a Mississippi church cemetery completely naked.

No, he was not trying to scare people or engage in otherwise sexually questionable behavior. H was just there to photograph spirits.

He was naked because skin is the best canvas to capture the spirits, according to Hurst. Although he only intended to take his shirt off, he quickly realized that the full monty was required for the best photographs possible. Ultimately Hurst turned himself in (clothed) and has been charged with indecent exposure.

With the photographic evidence, it will be hard to argue against his misdemeanor charge. His reasoning, while unique among the typical indecent exposure case, is not a viable legal defense to the charge.

Indecent exposure is a fairly straightforward crime: the purposeful display of one's private parts in public causing other to be offended or alarmed. In many situations an indecent exposure charge can quickly become a type of sexual assault if any contact is made. Luckily for Hurst, the only contact he had was with spirits. MSNBC quotes Hurst on any future photography sessions: "No I don't think I'll be going into a cemetery, even clothed."

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