Bureau of Prisons Inmate Sent Back to Prison for Indecent Exposure by Sexually Gratifying Himself

DENVER—Todd A. Lawton, age 31, an inmate who was housed at the United States Penitentiary (USP) in Florence, Colorado, at the time of his crime, was sentenced on Monday, January 27, 2014, by U.S. District Court Judge Philip A. Brimmer to serve one year and a day in federal prison for indecent exposure, the Department of Justice announced. Lawton will also have to register as a sex offender. The defendant appeared at the sentencing hearing in the custody of the United States Marshals. He was remanded at the conclusion of the sentencing hearing.

Lawton was indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver on June 3, 2013. He pled guilty to two counts of indecent exposure on October 16, 2013. He was sentenced on January 27, 2014. According to the stipulated facts contained in the plea agreement, between May 21, 2012 and January 22, 2013, Lawton on multiple occasions would stand on the toilet or another object in his cell in order to make his groin area visible through the cell door window to those near his cell. Then he would sexually gratify himself when female medical or food service staff approached. He was ordered many times to cease his lewd behavior but failed to comply with correctional staff orders.

The defendant was being incarcerated in USP Florence for various crimes while incarcerated: federal inmate possessing contraband—weapon and assault on a federal officer. He was first incarcerated for distribution of cocaine, robbery, and carrying a pistol without a license, all out of the District of Columbia. Lawton was released from the Federal Bureau of Prison custody on July 18, 2013, but was picked up by U.S. Marshals Deputies to appear before a U.S. Magistrate Judge on the indecent exposure charge. Lawton was later ordered to be detained without bond pending a resolution of his case.

“This case involved calculated acts of sexual intimidation aimed at female medical and food service staff at the United States Penitentiary at Florence,” said U.S. Attorney John Walsh. “This case and sentence reflects our commitment to protect Prison staff—and also other prison inmates—from sexual abuse of whatever form.”

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Services Department at USP Florence.

Lawton was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Tonini.