Ventura County man arrested for reportedly paying teens to spit on him

A 39-year-old Thousand Oaks man has been arrested for reportedly paying teens to spit in his face, slap him and yell profanities at him, a spokesman for the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department said today.

Charles Hersel, who was arrested on child annoyance charges and released on his own recognizance, reportedly sought out young male Westlake High School students on the MySpace social networking website, said Capt. Frank O’Hanlon.

“It didn’t take long for word to spread among local teens that they could get paid to spit in a man’s face,” O’Hanlon said.

Teens also reported that Hersel asked them to urinate and defecate on him. He was arrested Wednesday after an undercover sting operation at the Westlake Promenade mall, where he paid a teen $31 to spit in his face.

-- Seema Mehta

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Comments

[pmg]

This is just the free-market economy at work. Now the police thugs are interfering with this man's pursuit of happiness and these teens' ability to make money. Welcome to Obama's socialist America.

[tonyspdx]

Only in California

[Pilar]

Holy CRAP-- pmg has managed to make this an OBAMA issue. You must not surf the internet much, pmg. For your information, some people are sexually gratified when urinated and defecated on so this guy is technically a PEDOPHILE, you moron.

Free market economy? Your comment is a perfect example of idiocracy at its finest.

[atl]

Pilar needs to turn up his troll and sarcasm detectors a notch or two.

[Joe]

You people are all philistines.

[Slick Rick]

WTF??? What's this world coming to?

[Malici]

Considering he was paying teens and not children, and assuming he was getting sexual gratification from these actions, technically he is a Ephebophile, not a Pedophile, the difference being pedophilia is when an adult seeks out generally prepubescent children, and ephebophilia is when an adult seeks out post pubescent youths... if you want to get technical :)

[woody]

I so hope that pmg is kidding.... If you're not kidding pmg then please do us all a favor and go jump into crocodile infested waters. And tonyspdx "only in California". you ever been to the south?

[Ben]

Defense Lawyer: "Son, have you ever felt annoyed?"

Teen: "Yes sir."

Defense Lawyer: "So you know what it is to be annoyed by something?"

Teen: "Yes sir."

Defense Lawyer: "Son, did it annoy you to spit in the Defendant's face?"

Teen: "No sir."

Defense Lawyer: "Did you feel annoyed to be paid for this service?"

Teen: "No sir."

Defense Lawyer: Judge, the witness has acknowledged he knows what it's like to be annoyed and was not annoyed by the Defendant, at this time we ask for a dismissal of the charge of annoying a child."

Judge: "As the Witness has testified he was not annoyed, the charge is dismissed."

This trial should last about 30 seconds. Don't the police have any real criminals to catch?

[gm]

the first comment was a flawless troll. well done.

[Bob-b]

Pilar is a female name. And yes, she, and others need to recognize a joke when they read one. We need to keep an eye on SpitFace, his behavior will one day escalate to something very serious.

[Ben]

Who knew annoying a child was even a crime? How does that work? Children are always annoyed by something.

Operator: "9-1-1, what's your emergency?"

Child: "Ahh...I'm a teenager...and...ahh...someone is annoying me."

Operator: "Who is annoying you?"

Child: "Ahh...my teacher...she's giving me homework."

Operator: "Try and stay calm son, an officer is on the way."

Operator: 1 Adam 12, 1 Adam 12, report of an annoyed child...

(or)

Operator: "9-1-1, what's your emergency?"

Child: "Ya, my boss is like, making me work and that annoys me."

Operator: "Are you a child?"

Child: "Ya, I'm like 16."

News: "The manager is in custody charged with annoying a child..."

[AnaMo]

OMG!This is pathetic!This man obviously has mental issues!why is his thing only with teens?why not older ppl?I completely agree with Bob-b this type of behavior could escalate to something more serious.

[Sergio]

Dude.

[kooo]

Ben is hilarious! 1 Adam 12.... hee hee hee

[DN]

Pure and simple, age discrimination. I lost my job as a mid level manager and when I applied for this, he said I was too old. He didn't even look at my qualifications. I used to chew tabacky, and when I drink, I can pee and defecate with the best of them. If anyone else is in the same situation, let's initiate a class action lawsuit.

[Chester]

Ah those yokels from Ventura County...j/k You know what, children annoy the heck out of me, can I have THEM arrested?

[easisell.com]

Ben is a legend :)

[Alex]

Awesome! Thanks!

[Dont shock meh bra]

I thinbk his real name is Gavin from Quilcene Washington...

[Dont shock meh bra]

I think his real name is Gavin from Quilcene washington...