Registered sex offender accused of publicly masturbating at UCF's campus

Suspect also stole backpack, police say

Malik Gaither seen in a surveillance photo and in a mug shot, according to UCF police.

ORLANDO, Fla. – A registered sex offender is accused of publicly masturbating in front of students at the University of Central Florida on Tuesday, according to authorities. 

The UCF Police Department said a woman reported that she was getting into her car, which was parked in a lot near Garage I, when she noticed a man, later identified as Malik Gaither, touching himself inappropriately while looking in her direction.

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Police said they searched the campus and noticed a man who matched the description provided by the witness. Gaither, 25, abandoned a backpack and began walking faster when he noticed an officer approaching him, according to the report.

While investigating, police said they found surveillance video that showed Gaither masturbating near a woman who was on the phone and appeared to be unaware outside Trevor Colbourn Hall.

The backpack in Gaither's possession had been reported stolen by a student, according to the affidavit. It contained a laptop, headphones, $300 cash and a plane ticket with the victim's name on it, authorities said.

Police said Gaither has no ties to the university. He was trespassed from campus and arrested on charges of exposure of sexual organs, grand theft and loitering/prowling.

Records from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement show Gaither was adjudicated on a sexual battery charge in 2007, when he was a juvenile.


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