IAPE Evidence Blog

The News Tri­bune (Tacoma, Wash­ing­ton)
BYLINE: ADAM LYNN; Staff writer

Pierce County, WA

Pierce County pros­e­cu­tors on Tues­day filed a mis­de­meanor charge of unlaw­ful pub­lic expo­sure against a bikini barista spot­ted last year serv­ing cof­fee while wear­ing only pasties on her breasts.

It’s the first time Pierce County pros­e­cu­tors have lev­eled such a charge since some area espresso stand own­ers began requir­ing their baris­tas to show skin in addi­tion to mak­ing drinks.

Charged was Megan Eliz­a­beth Lenn, 19. She will be issued a sum­mons to appear in court dur­ing the next few weeks, deputy pros­e­cu­tor Kevin Ben­ton said.

Ben­ton said he charged Lenn because her alleged con­duct, if true, would con­sti­tute “a blan­tant vio­la­tion” of the county ordi­nance ban­ning pub­lic nudity.

Efforts to reach her or the own­ers of the Bikini Bot­toms espresso stand where she works were unsuccessful.

A woman dri­ving by the stand at 7919 176th St. E. on Oct. 7 called sheriff’s deputies after she spot­ted Lenn out­side the stand. She was wear­ing a thong bikini bot­tom and no top, accord­ing to court records.

A deputy dis­patched to inves­ti­gate the call found Lenn inside the stand mak­ing drinks, accord­ing to an arrest report.

Lenn was top­less but had X-shaped pasties cov­er­ing her nip­ples, the report states.

Lenn became angry when told she would be cited for inde­cent expo­sure and began to yell that baris­tas at other stands also wore pasties on the job, deputy Kevin Fries wrote in his report.

“I asked Lenn if she was aware that it was ille­gal to wear the pasties in pub­lic,” Fries wrote. “She said no. Lenn said that the female owner, Cheryl Eng­land, had told her and the other girls that it was OK to wear them.”

Lenn then went into the back of the stand, removed the pasties and put on a bikini top, Fries continued.

The deputy con­fis­cated the pasties and booked them into the South Hill precinct prop­erty room as evi­dence, his report states.

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Adam Lynn: 253 – 597-8644
adam.lynn@thenewstribune.com
blog.thenewstribune.com/crime

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Inter­na­tional Asso­ci­a­tion for Prop­erty and Evi­dence
“Law Enforce­ment Serv­ing the Needs of Law Enforce­ment”
www.IAPE.org