Voyeurism charge dropped against Va. man

WASHINGTON (AP) — Charges have been dropped against a Virginia man accused of voyeurism for taking pictures of women’s buttocks as they were seated on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

Prosecutors moved to drop charges late last month after a judge ruled that the women had no expectation of privacy as they sat on the steps. She said the photos, which exposed the women’s buttocks and private areas, merely captured what was publicly visible.

Christopher Cleveland of Springfield, Virginia, was arrested in June 2013 by U.S. Park Police after they observed him taking the photos. His lawyer argued that the actions did not meet the legal definition of voyeurism.

While D.C. Superior Court Judge Juliet McKenna ruled that Cleveland’s actions were not illegal, she called his conduct “repellent and disturbing.”

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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