Toledo man arrested for displaying nude photos of himself at Fremont Wal-Mart

3/3/2011

FREMONT — A Toledo man stopped by the local Wal-Mart Thursday with an unusual delivery — photographs of himself wearing fishnet stockings, a women's camisole, and "nothing in between," according to Fremont Police Det. Sgt. Dean Bliss.

"Apparently he did it just to get a reaction," Sergeant Bliss said.

A loss prevention specialist at Wal-Mart reacted first; Fremont police were next.

Rodney Kunkel, 44, was charged with two counts of pandering obscenity, a fifth-degree felony punishable by up to 12 months in prison and a $2,500 fine. He was being held in the Sandusky County jail Thursday after Fremont Municipal Court Michael Burkett set bond at $30,000.

Sergeant Bliss said that on Monday a loss prevention employee at Wal-Mart discovered nine such lewd photographs on shelves in the cosmetics department and on the windshields of some cars in the parking lot. By studying surveillance tape, he was able to identify the suspect's vehicle.

Sergeant Bliss said that when the loss prevention agent arrived at work Thursday, he spotted the vehicle in the parking lot and called police.

"Wal-Mart loss prevention alerted us and they did a fabulous job," he said.

Officers stopped the suspect's pickup truck as he was driving away from the store on State Rt. 53. According to police, Kunkel admitted he had placed four photographs of himself on the shelves in the cosmetics department. The pictures matched the nine images found on Monday.

"It was definitely one of the weirder cases that I've handled," the sergeant said.

According to court records, Kunkel had two prior convictions for public indecency in Toledo Municipal Court. In a 2002 incident, he emerged from his car "totally naked" and urinated within view of Jackman Road and a Kroger store. In 2004, he was seen standing next to his bicycle naked exposing himself to a woman at a Northville Drive apartment complex.