# Nudity in own home = indecent exposure? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 13, 2003, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nudity-in-own-home-indecent-exposure/174974 "2003-05-13T15:52:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nudity-in-own-home-indecent-exposure/174974/1 "2003-05-13T15:52:08Z")
Okay, I have a tendency to walk around naked for a while after I shower. I can’t use talc (at least, every brand I’ve tried makes me sneeze and sneeze and sneeze) and I prefer to be absolutely dry before I get dressed. My hubby does not object to this. 😉 Yesterday one of my neighbors called me, highly irate about this. She found her son masturbating while staring out his bedroom window with binoculars – and he confessed he was looking at me, and had done so in the past after he’d ‘accidentally’ discovered I’m likely to walking around naked at that time of the morning. Okay. So I’m thinking, ewww! Iccky. Not that I object to boys masturbating. Not that I object to being found, uh, is ‘stroke worthy’ a meaningful term? It’s just that if a semi-stranger is getting off over me, I’d really prefer not to have knowledge of it. And expecting her to apologize or something. And then she proceeds to attack me for my ‘indecent explosure’! And says if I don’t stop doing it, she’ll report me to the police! Okay, I think this is nuts, but I’m checking just to be sure. Here’s the set up: There is a _minimum_ distance of 50 yards from our house to our lot line on all sides. In the direction this kid was spying from it’s close to 70. (Plus more distance from the lot line to his bedroom window.) That lot line is also planted with a row of pine trees and forsythia bushes. It doesn’t make an absolutely sight-proof barrier, but it definitely closes off that side of the yard so completely I’ve never felt exposed to view working in it. All of the ‘public’ rooms of our house have sheers (which are always closed) topped by valences and/or drapes. I tried to look in while having hubby walk around yesterday afternoon and at night – during the day you can only make out vague bulk outlines, at night you see only silhouettes. Our bedroom (which faces this boy’s house) has a full length slider door, with vertical blinds over it. I ‘tilt’ these open in the morning to let sunshine in, but they’re still there, and inhibit sight at least partially. As in, if I’m standing at the far edge of the lawn and deliberate stare at the window, I can determine that my husband is standing there, and make out what clothes he is wearing, but in narrow ‘strips’ of seeing and not seeing. In these circumstances, can being naked in MY OWN BEDROOM possibly be considered indecent exposure??? My hubby thinks he should ‘explain’ to this kid why he should not be peeping into my window. (Bad idea, I know.) I wonder if I should preemptively report the kid for being a peeping tom – but again, if he’s in his own house? It’s not like he was in my yard or anything. ---
**Author:** ![Liz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/liz/32/17737_2.png) [@Liz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liz)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nudity-in-own-home-indecent-exposure/174974/2 "2003-05-13T15:59:46Z")
By no means am I a lawyer, but I can’t see _any_ legal responsibility on your part. You’re in your own home, with your drapes pulled/semi pulled, on your own property. Neighbor lady is an uptight bitch who needs to give her son a lecture on respecting people’s privacy, and then proceed to shove his binoculars up his ass. You aren’t doing anything wrong at all–don’t change your routine for Peeping Tom and his bitch mother. If she opens her mouth about it again, tell her you’ll slam her kid with a peeping tom charge. It may not fly in reality, but she probably doesn’t know any better and it’ll scare the shit out of her. Some people fucking kill me. ---
**Author:** ![KnK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/edb3f5/32.png) [@KnK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KnK)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nudity-in-own-home-indecent-exposure/174974/3 "2003-05-13T16:05:44Z")
Fact: The kid is gonna do his business regardless of YOUR actions. So, I would not bother changing your routine just for the neighbor. From a legal standpoint, I dont believe the neighbor has much to go on. What’s she gonna do next, sue internet sites for indecent exposure to her typical teen? KnK ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nudity-in-own-home-indecent-exposure/174974/4 "2003-05-13T16:07:37Z")
Where are you located? As I understand it, if you have reasonably privacy measures in place, it’s not public nudity. It’s not like you’re doing nude aerobics on your front lawn. However, little mister perv is a peeping tom; he is invading your privacy by going out of his way and using extreme measures to see you naked. ---
**Author:** ![Liz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/liz/32/17737_2.png) [@Liz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liz)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nudity-in-own-home-indecent-exposure/174974/5 "2003-05-13T16:08:20Z")
To add a little bit to my previous post–I’m pretty sure Peeping Tom could get in trouble under voyeurism laws, if your state has them in place. What got me thinking about that was the whole ‘up-skirt’ cam controversy which stated that in a PUBLIC place, one cannot expect a certain level of privacy. I’m thinking if that’s the case, the reverse must be true–your home is where you expect a certain level of privacy, so his watching you through binoculars probably breaks a misdemeanor law on voyeurism. I don’t have a cite, as any google search on voyeurism laws leads you (of course) through 1,532,689 porn sites. :rolleyes: Anyway, I’d threaten BM (Bitch Mom) with calling the cops on HPB (Her Precious Baby). You have a right to be comfortable in your home. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nudity-in-own-home-indecent-exposure/174974/6 "2003-05-13T16:11:49Z")
I’m looking at this from the neighbor’s - err - point of view. If I found out that my (let’s assume) adolescent son were whacking off to the sight of one of my neighbors walking around naked, I’d be mad at the kid. But since he’s obviously discovered that he can see something “stroke worthy” I’d say you aren’t as invisible in your own home as you think you are. If I were you, I’d pull my drapes and my vertical blinds completely shut until I was completely dressed. And then I’d politely inform my neighbor that I’ve taken steps to secure my privacy, and if I ever catch her son with binoculars again, she could choose between my calling hubby or the police. ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_E\_Dec\_Esq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/48db29/32.png) [@Francis\_E\_Dec\_Esq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_E_Dec_Esq)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nudity-in-own-home-indecent-exposure/174974/7 "2003-05-13T16:13:57Z")
Lucky kid! You’re really doing him a favor. He’ll treasure the memory of his naked neighbor for the rest of his life. Seriously. Every kid’s dream. (maybe he’ll get over the getting caught by his mom part, but that’ll be tough) ---
**Author:** ![Ego\_Mk2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/58956e/32.png) [@Ego\_Mk2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ego_Mk2)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nudity-in-own-home-indecent-exposure/174974/8 "2003-05-13T16:16:28Z")
I walk around naked upstairs in my house all the time. If any kid got off on that I’d be amazed. (and oddly flattered) Uptight neighbor can call the cops all she wants. It’ll be her son that goes to jail. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nudity-in-own-home-indecent-exposure/174974/9 "2003-05-13T16:26:07Z")
Ths joke is from the 30’s or 40’s. Old lady on telephone: Officer come quickly there’s a naked man parading around in his bedroom in the house next door. It’s awful! Officer: That’s pretty bold! I’ll be right out to take care of this! Spinster: Thank you officer! Puzzled officer in old lady’s bedroom: So where does he do this? I can’t see his bedroom from your window. Old Lady: Oh, you have to climb up on top of the wardrobe to see him! ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nudity-in-own-home-indecent-exposure/174974/10 "2003-05-13T16:31:28Z")
Why would the mother willingly tell you her kid masturbated to you? She doomed him to forever be known for that. He could grow up to be the most productive and well respected member of your community, and at the banquet for his 50th year as Mayor of your town, he’ll still be the the kid who can’t stop jerking off. While I think the neighbor is being a flake, and is placing the blame where it doesn’t belong, I don’t think I would have told you my kid took matters into his own hand (assuming the other one held the binoculars). I would have been a little more discreet, I think. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nudity-in-own-home-indecent-exposure/174974/11 "2003-05-13T16:40:44Z")
Is anyone else disappointed that **StarvingButStrong** doesn’t have anything in her Location field? ---
**Author:** ![Robb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Robb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robb)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nudity-in-own-home-indecent-exposure/174974/12 "2003-05-13T16:48:42Z")
If you are concerned about whether what you did could be considered indecent exposure, it would help to look up the laws in the jurisdiction where you live. For example, indecent exposure in one state is: > [@](#): > > [§ 21.08. Indecent Exposure](http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/statutes/pe/pe0002100.html#pe004.21.08) > (a) A person commits an offense if he exposes his anus or any part of his genitals with intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person, and he is reckless about whether another is present who will be offended or alarmed by his act. Reading up on where you live might be a useful endeavor. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nudity-in-own-home-indecent-exposure/174974/13 "2003-05-13T16:53:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by StarvingButStrong \* > **Our bedroom (which faces this boy’s house) has a full length slider door, with vertical blinds over it. I ‘tilt’ these open in the morning to let sunshine in, but they’re still there, and inhibit sight at least partially. As in, if I’m standing at the far edge of the lawn and deliberate stare at the window, I can determine that my husband is standing there, and make out what clothes he is wearing, but in narrow ‘strips’ of seeing and not seeing.**] It’s defintely wrong to peer into a neighbor’s house with binoculars, and his mother clearly handled the situation badly, but you could stop putting your naked body in view of a teenage boy. The kid’s probably got enough problems without being reported to the police. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nudity-in-own-home-indecent-exposure/174974/14 "2003-05-13T17:01:47Z")
I don’t see how the kid is getting a stroke-worthy view if you can’t see any goodies on your husband from your yard. Maybe he’s just imagining you because you are SOOO HOT, mama. I mean, if he’s not getting a good peek, maybe he’s just the MASTER Bater, eh? ---
**Author:** ![Coffeeguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/958977/32.png) [@Coffeeguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coffeeguy)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nudity-in-own-home-indecent-exposure/174974/15 "2003-05-13T17:05:51Z")
Not an actual cite or anything, but does anyone else remember a case in Florida sometime in the ‘80’s? While a couple was having sex in their bathroom, some kid climbed up a trellis on the side of the building and held a video camera to the window. The kid got some nice footage, and the couple was convicted of several “indecent exposure” type offences. –CoffeeGuy ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nudity-in-own-home-indecent-exposure/174974/16 "2003-05-13T17:10:25Z")
Just tell your neighbor lady, “Good thing he waited till after my shower to start peeping, otherwise he would have caught hubby and I in the act!” You didn’t do anything wrong. On the other hand, as my dad taught me many years ago while he was showing me how to play cards, “If you hold your cards where I can see them, I’m gonna look.” This has gotten me into trouble from time to time… ---
**Author:** ![Buk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/54ee81/32.png) [@Buk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buk)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nudity-in-own-home-indecent-exposure/174974/17 "2003-05-13T17:24:42Z")
A good example of the lack of responsibility in our current society. Everything is always ‘someone else’s fault’. In this case, you are at fault because you were too much temptation and overpowered all of their teachings ;\<0 ---
**Author:** ![bare](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bare/32/471_2.png) [@bare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bare)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nudity-in-own-home-indecent-exposure/174974/18 "2003-05-13T18:04:31Z")
That kid has to be a smooth operator. How in the heck can you hold the binoculars steady enough to see anything while strokin’? ---
**Author:** ![Atrael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Atrael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atrael)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nudity-in-own-home-indecent-exposure/174974/19 "2003-05-13T18:16:18Z")
I can’t believe that some of you are saying that it was her fault. If the kid has freakin binoculars, then that goes above and beyond what someone could see with the naked eye through her window. What’s next, saying that people at the beach should be arrested because I can see through their bathing suites with my nightvision cam corder? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nudity-in-own-home-indecent-exposure/174974/20 "2003-05-13T18:37:43Z")
Who on this board said she should be arrested? Most of the comments have said the kid was wrong to peep and definitely to use binoculars. How is suggesting that she could modify her behavior so unbelievable? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nudity-in-own-home-indecent-exposure/174974.md?page=2)