Jonathan Copeland
By Carol Robinson | [email protected]
A Shelby County man is accused of exposing his genitals to a woman, and it’s the sixth time he’s been arrested for doing so.
Jonathan Wade Copeland, 36, was arrested Saturday by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. Officials there say the incident happened about 7:15 p.m. on Sept. 23 at the Chelsea Walmart. The victim told police she was shopping when a man – identified as Copeland – exposed himself to her.
Copeland, who lists a Wilsonville address, was released from jail the same day he was booked after posting $1,000 on the misdemeanor charge.
Alabama law defines the crime as: “with intent to arouse or gratify sexual desire of himself or of any person other than his spouse, he exposes his genitals under circumstances in which he knows his conduct is likely to cause affront or alarm in any public place.”
He has previous indecent exposure convictions in Pelham and Homewood dating back nine years. In March 2017, Hoover police arrested Copeland on a felony charge, saying Alabama’s Indecent Exposure law has a provision that allows the crime to be upgraded to a felony after a third or more conviction of the same crime.
In the 2017 incident, police say Copeland exposed himself to a female shopper inside Michael’s and another female shopper in At Home at the Grove. Copeland has not yet gone to trial on the Hoover charge, records show.
“This individual’s behavior is certainly disturbing and sick,” Hoover police Capt. Gregg Rector said at the time of the 2017 arrest. “It also concerns us that he is willing to continue exposing himself even after being arrested and convicted in the past.”
A preliminary hearing in the case is set for Oct. 28.
