Six Nudists Arrested for Baring All on Wrong Florida Beach: Sheriff By KC Baker

Six people allegedly bared it all on the Florida shoreline while their usual nudist beach was closed – and now they’re facing criminal charges.

Daniel Harrisson, 77, Donald Knapp, 74, Gaetane Lambert, 73, Steven Marhenke, 60, Elmer Quandt, 77, and Nickolas Ramos, 27, were arrested on Saturday, Oct. 25, and charged with indecent exposure and exposure of sexual organs, the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement on Facebook.

The arrests came after the sheriff’s office said it had received “numerous complaints regarding unauthorized nudity at the Little Mud Boat Ramp area” in Fort Pierce, off of the Jimmy Buffet Memorial Highway, according to a statement it released on Wed., Oct. 29.

The nudists allegedly started hanging out in the new spot because their usual haunt, Blind Creek Beach, a designated clothing-optional location, has been undergoing a renovation.

The parking area at Blind Creek Beach is being paved and the parking lot is closed, 12 News reports — but that doesn’t mean that people can sunbathe naked wherever they want, the sheriff’s office noted.

“While the ongoing Blind Creek Beach renovation project may be a temporary inconvenience to beach goers, it does not permit the use of undesignated public areas as extensions of the designated nude-optional beach,” the sheriff’s office said in the statement. 

“Some visitors have attempted to relocate north of the permitted area, prompting an increase in calls from concerned residents and visitors,” it said.

Since early September, deputies have been working to remind visitors of the posted signage marking the designated nude-optional zones, setting out on foot and even on ATVs to spread the word.

Nevertheless, the six naturists were arrested for allegedly not wearing any clothes at the Little Mud Boat Ramp, which is about 1.1 miles north of the permitted nudist area.

While some people at Little Mud Creek beach said they had no problem with nudists on the beach, others told 12 News they didn’t like it.

“You would find it upsetting if you saw somebody here naked on this beach?” one woman, who did not provide her name, told the outlet. “It would be odd, yes. Because young families could be here and the reality, the sign does say you have to be clothed or in a bathing suit,” she said.

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The six people were each released on a $500 cash bond, online jail records show.

Harrisson, Lambert, Marhenke, Scheduled to appear in court for arraignment on Nov. 21; Quandt on Dec. 10; and Knapp Dec. 19, according to online court records.

It is unclear when Ramos is scheduled to appear in court.

It is unclear whether the six have retained attorneys who can speak on their behalf.