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Provided by Monk:

FREDERICK, Colo.—A Catholic priest faces an indecent exposure charge after police said he went jogging in the nude about an hour before sunrise.

The Rev. Robert Whipkey told officers he had been running naked at a high school track and didn't think anyone would be around at that time of day, a police report said.

He told officers he sweats profusely if he wears clothing while jogging. "I know what I did was wrong," he said in the report.

Whipkey did not return phone messages. His attorney, Doug Tisdale, told the Longmont Times-Call that Whipkey had no comment.

Whipkey, 53, was arrested June 22 in this small town about 20 miles north of Denver. An officer said he saw a naked man walking down the street at 4:35 a.m. The U.S. Naval Observatory Web site said sunrise that day in Frederick was 5:31 a.m.

The officer said when he shined his flashlight at the man, he covered himself with a piece of clothing he was carrying.

The Archdiocese of Denver said it takes the incident seriously but is awaiting the outcome of the case. Whipkey, who also officiates at parishes in the nearby towns of Mead and Erie, remains an active priest.

If convicted of indecent exposure, a misdemeanor, he would have to register as a sex offender, prosecutors said.

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Anonymous Rick said...
What rational mind can think that walking completely nude down a public street is "ok"? Now add to the fact that he did this at a high school track!

Given the current climate of religious clergy and sexual abuse (not even to mention the attention of this focused on catholics) I simply cannot see how anyone could ever consider doing something of this sort without having some other darker motive at work.

This is like flying across country, spotting a handgun that catches your fancy for various reasons and then trying to smuggle it through airport security and wondering why everyone reacts so badly when its found.

Either this guy is a complete rudding idiot or there is something much darker going on here.


Blogger Spirula said...
Sorry, but this is what is wrong with American's prudish laws and attitudes. The guy thinks no one is around so runs in the nude in the dark, gets spotted by a cop, if convicted may have to register as a sex-offender.

He may have used poor judgement but is that what the sex-offender registry should be used for?

Ridiculous!


Blogger Spirula said...
rick,
I posted right after you (didn't see yours), and my post is not directed toward you, but as a comment about the American attitudes and abuses of laws.

Just so you know.


Anonymous Rick said...
Spirula, thanks for the clarification. I also agree with what you pointed out. The general perception of "sexual offender" is "sexual predator" and very few people are interested in hearing the background stories of these people to make a distinction.

Such a conglomeration of "offenders" muddies the waters so that people cannot easily keep an eye on the real threats.

It just boggles my mind that this guy would not consider the ramifications and the high probability of someone seeing him.


Blogger Spirula said...
rick,

You're right about that guy. I avoid trying to explain why people do what they do.

But I think more of the cases where, say someone is camping, decides to skinny-dip and gets busted by park-guards because of a complaint. In some states, you automatically go on the list. Absurd.

I remember reading, maybe on this blog even, about a guy who is on the list because he got convicted on a statutory rape at age 17 for having sex with his 16 yr old girlfriend. That follows him everywhere.

By no means am I, like yourself, defending sexual predators or espousing a belief the notification/label should be abandoned, but the offender/predator distinction should have been much more thoughtfully written into these laws. Lumping like this is wreckless. I have teenage kids. I'd hate to think an indiscretion on their part (and thinking back on my teenage years, discretion and judgement are hardly a strong suit of that age group)could be life-ruining for and for no just or reasonable reason.


Anonymous Thackerie said...
Meh. I enjoy reports of crimes by clergy members as much as the next heathen, but I don't think this is any big deal. And, I agree with spirula; sex-offender registries should be reserved for real sex offenders.

Thackerie (who never wears clothes when she can get away with it)


Blogger Audie said...
If more of us would jog naked, then it might not be such a big deal anymore. Olympic games anyone?


Blogger stronger now said...
Rather than calling the cops, how would one determine if this guy was up to no good? How about sneeking up on the guy and asking him? To make him feel more comfortable you'd have to take your clothes off as well. I'd do it just to see what his reaction would be. Then I'd have to attend his church just once, shake his hand and ask him how it's hangin'.

That'll learn 'em!


Blogger Monk said...
Just to clarify, this (for once) was not sent in to once more villify the clergy...because they do that enough without our help. I just found this HILARIOUS and wanted to share.

I mean seriously, folks, the mental picture alone is hysterical. Imagine what the cop thought...

Yours in good humor,
Monk (MG)


Blogger Aspentroll said...
"To make him feel more comfortable you'd have to take your clothes off as well."

The above is NOT a good idea
when confronting a clergyman.
He will think you are inviting him to do a "rectal stretch"
on you. Would you be ready for that?

I guess it would be wrong to say that all the priesthood is weird but I would like to know what small percentage
is not.


Anonymous whateverlolawants said...
Haha... this is ridiculous. What an idiot!

1) What the hell was he thinking? I mean, I wouldn't mind running around naked, but I'm not going to do it just anywhere. The law is pretty clear about that. If I really wanted to, I'd go to a nudist colony. The guy could have just worn short shorts... doesn't the "junk" risk getting tangled up if you run naked anyway?

2) "Sex offender" list? Ugh! I hate the equation with sex and nudity anyway. So puritan! And as others have said, how does this do anyone any good? I want to know about REAL threats, not some idiot who ran naked in the middle of the night. I don't mind sex offender registries for rapists and molesters- in fact, they are very important! But a minor case (a misdemeanor, in fact) of public nudity? That does not constitute a public threat.

At my college, the big tradition is to run naked to a certain campus landmark. Luckily, there's no "sex offender" status placed on those who are caught- otherwise, almost every single grad would be on the list!


Blogger freethinker05 said...
Remember the "streak", boogydaa-boogydaa, fastest thang on two feet.


Anonymous Anonymous said...
Just because some old fool wants to run around naked does not mean the rest of the world wants to see it. Also, since he was a priest, he was probably hoping to run across a helpless small child to rape and he was running naked to be ready.


Anonymous Rick said...
As I pointed out, its the stupidity of his actions in a country that has a very large public hatred for child sexual offenders and the biggest headlines are for clergy.

It's not simply because he was caught nude. Its the combination of his profession, where he was, and what he was doing.

I think there are ample signs here to dig deeper into this guys background. Sorry if its embarrassing for him, but he did do something so amazingly stupid that I find it hard to believe that it was done in innocence. There is just something wrong with this picture.


Blogger freethinker05 said...
I totally agree Rick, this perverted sumbitch needs to be investigated, or even if it takes planting some kind of evidence against him; That would be one more priest off the streets before some adult or someone's kid from being raped and/or being killed, or both. Roger


Anonymous Rick said...
I'm not understanding the attitude on this. I have to accept that previous comment as being sarcastic and if not then I disagree with both that reaction and that persecution attitude. This is not a simple case of someone getting caught pissing against a building or complained about bathing nude in their backyard. This isn't about labeling them a sex offender for being naked in public.

Yah, its funny, as Monk points out, but honestly, a guy running naked by a high school? That should only get a good laugh and give the guy a break? I can't agree with that. Set aside the fact he's a priest if it makes you feel better.


Anonymous Some Old Nobody said...
I can't believe they want this guy to register as a sex offender if he's convicted. Sure, he did a dumb thing, but lumping him in with rapists and child molesters is insane. On another note, what worries me is the fact that there are all these websites where you can find out where convicted offenders live. While at first it might seem like the public's right to know, the offender has no privacy and despite the goverment threatening to prosecute anyone who harasses them, what's to stop a lynch mob from dragging these people out of their house in the middle of the night. Sex offenders are wrong for what they do, no argument there, but if they're just going to be hounded for the rest of their lives, they may as well just keep them imprisoned for life. Whether theist or atheist, people need to learn to forgive.


Blogger freethinker05 said...
Some Old Nobody, maybe the priest should have joined a nudist camp, and jogged on the beach all he wanted, then he wouldn't have looked so dumb and suspicous. Roger A/A


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