Miami-Dade, FL - Police responded to a South Florida gym last month after a 15-year-old boy informed his father that he had encountered a male masturbating in the men's locker room.
According to police, the teenager recounted that the suspect, identified as 37-year-old Joseph Noriega, initiated contact with him in the men's restroom before following him into the adjacent locker room on August 28th.
Detectives from the Special Victims Bureau questioned Noriega about the alleged incident at Planet Fitness, located at 19189 S. Dixie Highway in Cutler Bay.
During the investigation, Noriega informed officers that he was born in Cuba and provided a residential address near the Robert Morgan Educational Center, a public park, and two elementary schools.
Noriega made a court appearance on Thursday, where a judge granted him release on a $7,500 bond.
His arraignment is scheduled for 9 a.m. on October 6th, with Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Alberto Milian presiding.
Noriega faces a charge of a lewd or lascivious offense committed upon or in the presence of persons less than 16 years of age.
This felony carries a potential penalty of up to 15 years in prison, 15 years of sex offender probation, and a $10,000 fine