Photo by Skip Lawrence The entrance to the overlook on I-270 is from the northbound lane north of the Urbana exit and south of the Monocacy River.

Of eight men arrested in July and August, six have appeared in court. A seventh defendant died.

Trial for the eighth defendant is set for Dec. 1.

Sgt. Art Windemuth called the operation a success.

"It helped get the word out," Windemuth said. "We've had no other concerns since then."

None of the defendants prosecuted so far has been sentenced to jail. Five were ordered to pay fines, and the sixth had his case placed on the stet, or inactive, docket.

Three of the men have been banned from Frederick County state parks for life; a fourth has been banned for two years, Windemuth said.

When the arrests were announced in August, authorities said traffic at Gambrill State Park had increased this year.

The additional traffic led to more complaints of men soliciting and performing sex acts at the park.

Complaints that began surfacing in July "alerted us to the problem," Windemuth said. "We addressed it immediately. We have not had any complaints from park employees or patrons since" the investigation.

During their operation, undercover officers would strike up a conversation if they saw a man who appeared to be passing time alone.

Eight men propositioned the officers.

n Steven Elwood Baynard, 56, of Hancock, pleaded guilty to one count of indecent exposure Aug. 11.

On Oct. 20, a judge granted him probation before judgment and ordered him to pay $57.50 in court costs and $300 of a $1,000 fine.

Baynard is banned from Frederick County state parks for life.

n James Michael Cornwell, 57, of Frederick , pleaded guilty to second-degree assault Aug. 11.

On Oct. 20, a judge granted him probation before judgment and ordered him to pay $57.50 in court costs and $400 of a $1,000 fine.

Cornwell is banned from state parks for life.

n Bruce Allen Propst, 60, of Frederick , pleaded guilty to indecent exposure Aug. 14.

On Oct. 20, a judge granted him probation before judgment and ordered him to pay $57.50 in court costs and $300 of a $1,000 fine.

Propst is banned from state parks for life.

n Appearing in court Sept. 30, Charles Allen Stone, 69, of Purcellville, Va., had Aug. 13 charges of second-degree assault and fourth-degree sex offense placed on the inactive docket.

As a condition of the stet, Stone must stay out of state parks for two years.

n William Lloyd Vanover Jr., 51, of Myersville , pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in a state park July 20.

On Sept. 11, a judge fined him $102.50 and also ordered him to pay court costs of $22.50.

n Eric Anthony Ziegler, 39, of Arlington, Va., pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct July 24.

On Sept. 4, a judge fined him $102.50 and ordered him to pay $22.50 in court costs.

n The case against James Thomas Williams, 77, of Frederick , did not make it to court.

Williams died in September before his Aug. 13 case could be heard, according to court records.

n Joseph Whitehead, 55, of Buckeystown , is the final defendant awaiting trial stemming from Aug. 14 charges of indecent exposure and disorderly conduct filed by the Maryland Natural Resources Police.

A Dec. 1 trial date has been set.

Sexual misconduct isn't limited to state parks.

In October, the Frederick County Sheriff's Office reported that an undercover operation at the northbound I-270 overlook resulted in the arrest of a Frederick man.

Deputies had been getting complaints about people involved in lewd behavior, including indecent exposure, Cpl. Jennifer Bailey said.

About 1 p.m. Oct. 26, Adam Gaines, 47, approached a deputy in street clothes and asked him to meet him at a parking lot off Md. 85, Bailey said.

Once there, Gaines grabbed the deputy and was charged with second-degree assault. A Jan. 12 court date has been set.

Maryland State Police at the Frederick barrack have taken a proactive approach to criminal activity at the scenic overlook along I-270 south of Frederick , First Sgt. Chris Sasse said.

Troopers have made three recent arrests on charges including second-degree assault, indecent exposure and lewd behavior.

"We will continue to ensure the rest areas are a safe place for motorists to stop," Sasse said.

In years past, troopers have also made arrests at the truck rest area along I-70 just west of Mount Airy .

DETAILS

The Maryland Natural Resources Police encourages the public to report any suspicious behavior in state parks by calling 1-800-628-9944.

Maryland State Police urge people to dial #77 on their cell phones to report possible criminal activity, including a description of possible suspects, their vehicles and tag numbers.