Man Accused of Masturbating in Target Claims It Was Dildo, Not His Actual Penis

A 25-year-old man arrested inside an Iowa Target for indecent exposure maintains he was not masturbating inside the store. Instead, he claims he was merely handling a sex toy.

DeShawn Brown was taken into custody on Oct. 12 and subsequently released after posting a $3,000 bail.

An arrest affidavit obtained by The Smoking Gun contends Brown, 25, was captured on surveillance cameras walking around the Target in downtown Iowa City "while masturbating."

The affidavit claims Brown was "physically touching and stimulat[ing] his genitalia and pubic area for the purpose of sexual arousal."

Contradicting the footage, Brown told officers that the object in his shorts was not his penis, but a dildo.

The affidavit counters his defense, suggesting "video evidence indicates the phallic object in his hand was indeed connected to his person."

Further, the document accuses Brown of not just concealing his actions under his clothing but also exposing himself to shoppers.

Recently, just three months prior, Brown's name was added to the state's sex offender registry. This addition was a result of a probation sentence he received, lasting two years, from a December 2022 incident.

In that case, Brown faced arrest for indecent exposure when he was seen on camera masturbating at a laundromat in Iowa City.