Women say naked man followed them in Sedgwick County Park

Three women strolling in Sedgwick County Park on Wednesday evening called authorities after a naked man started following them.

The women — who are 57, 52 and 31 — were walking on a path in a southern area of the park, north of the parking lot off 13th Street, at about 6 p.m. when they spotted a middle-aged man standing in a wooded area, Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Lt. Lin Dehning said. The park’s address is 6501 W. 21st St. in Wichita.

The man “took off his clothes and began masturbating,” then walked after the women as they continued on their way, Dehning said in an e-mailed response to questions about the case.

The women called 911 to report the sex crime and spoke with a deputy as it was happening, he said. They told the deputy where to find the man, who was arrested and booked into jail on suspicion of lewd and lascivious behavior and disorderly conduct.

“The man eventually put his clothes back on,” Dehning said.

Jail records identify him as 50-year-old Jerry W. Schmidt of Wichita. Kansas Department of Corrections records show Schmidt previously served time in prison after being convicted of rape in a 1987 case out of Harvey County.

This story was originally published May 11, 2017 at 4:52 PM with the headline "Women say naked man followed them in Sedgwick County Park."