MIDDLEBOROUGH, Mass. — A convicted sex offender pleaded not guilty on Monday to exposing himself twice to children who were on a school bus in March.
Middleborough police arrested Wayne Haskell, 49, of Bridgewater, and charged him with two counts of open and gross lewdness and lascivious behavior, following a two-month investigation.
FOX25 was at the police department as a handcuffed Haskell was escorted to a cruiser for his arraignment at Wareham District Court.
Haskell is accused of exposing himself to the children from his vehicle on both March 10 and March 17.
An "older, balding, heavyset, white male waved to him," the victim told police, according to court documents obtained by FOX25. The victim "says he waved back and saw him with his hand on his 'private.'"
Three children provided descriptions of the suspect and his vehicle and ultimately picked out Haskell in a lineup, Assistant District Attorney Dan Jimenez said.
Haskell was once a Level 3 registered sex offender - the most dangerous level. But about two years ago, Bridgewater police said, the Sex Offender Registry Board reclassified Haskell and downgraded his status to a Level 2 sex offender, which indicates the risk of re-offense is moderate.
Haskell has been convicted of 11 of the same charges of open and gross lewdness and lascivious behavior in three separate incidents between 1995 and 2000, court records and a community notification provided by Bridgewater police show.
Haskell was held on $100,000 bail Monday and is due back in court on June 8.
His defense attorney declined to comment, saying he has a policy of not speaking to the press about his cases.
A woman who identified herself as Haskell's mother said outside court her son is not a predator.
"Would you please pray for him?" she said. "I just know that he's a wonderful man and that this will all come out."