William H. Masters III, famed sex researcher's son, charged with indecent exposure, Mich. police say

By: Crimesider Staff
Topics: Daily Blotter

William Howell Masters III, 60, was charged with exposing himself to a sheriff's deputy and another woman near a Michigan river

/ AP Photo/Huron County Sheriff

(CBS/AP) DETROIT - William H. Masters III, the son of famed sex researcher Dr. William H. Masters, is accused of exposing himself to a sheriff's deputy and another woman along a river in eastern Michigan.

The deputy and the woman were reportedly posing as recreational kayakers during a sting operation when a completely nude William H. Masters III yelled for their attention on Saturday, making obscene gestures from the bank of the Pinnebog River, Huron County Sheriff Kelly Hanson said.

Hanson said his office investigated four indecent exposure incidents in the area during the past two weeks, but added, "this has been going on for years."

Investigators are now looking into similarities between Masters' case and past incidents of indecent exposure in the Port Crescent State Park area, Hanson said.

Masters, who lives in Southampton, N.Y., is charged with aggravated indecent exposure, a misdemeanor punishable by up to two years in jail and a $2,000 fine.

On May 9, Masters was arrested after a police officer reported seeing him expose his genitals and masturbate in New York City's Central Park. Court records show he was ordered to perform two days of community service under an agreement with prosecutors. Prosecutors said Masters' Michigan arrest might affect the New York case.

Masters was freed on a $5,000 cash bond, said County Prosecutor Timothy Rutkowski. The judge permitted Masters to travel to New York, but he must be present at all court appearances, including a pretrial hearing on Sept. 13.

Masters' father is Dr. William H. Masters, who died in 2001 and pioneered research in the field of human sexuality, according to The Associated Press. The elder Masters and his partner Virginia Johnson conducted interviews and observed sex in the act, researching biological responses and monitoring the physiology of sexual arousal. He and Johnson, whom he later married, wrote 1966's "Human Sexual Response," which was a best-seller.

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