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Psychiatric evaluation ordered for man who exposed himself to girl

By FARRAH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A 29-year-old man who admitted exposing himself to a young girl while she was on her way to school was ordered to undergo psychiatric evaluation before he is sentenced.

Joel Griffin admitted indecently exposing himself to a Palmdale Primary student on March 24.

Griffin was initially arraigned last week, but appeared in court on Thursday for the presentation of the prosecution's facts and sentencing.

On Thursday, prosecutor Samantha Miah said the accused was arrested near Madeira Street after he was observed exposing his genitals to the sixth-grade student as she was walking to school. After he was arrested, Griffin admitted flashing the young girl and told officers he was attracted to her because of the size of her buttocks, so he walked alongside her with his pants below his hip “while simultaneously exposing” his genitals.

During the hearing, Griffin maintained his guilty plea and agreed with the facts of the prosecutor.

When asked, he told the magistrate that he had been admitted to the Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre in the past, but had stopped taking his medication.

As a result, Magistrate Ferguson-Pratt ordered the accused to submit to a psychological evaluation before she passed her sentence.

Griffin returns to court on May 4 to learn his fate.

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