[PHOTO CREDIT: Lake County Sheriff’s Office]
[Original Publish Date: 09/14/20]
CLERMONT, Florida — A 63-year-old handyman is facing a stalking charge and a lewd and lascivious exhibition charge after exposing himself to an elderly woman while performing work at her house, and stalking a second woman, according to a probable cause affidavit.
An elderly victim told a Clermont Police detective Craig James Foreman had completed several jobs at her home on Aug. 10 and when she returned from getting him a glass of water, he had his genitals exposed. She said Foreman moved towards her, touching his penis and she immediately asked him to leave, according to the affidavit.
The victim asked Foreman to leave at least three times and he appeared to be in a “trance.” The heavily redacted affidavit states an unnamed person went outside and asked Foreman to leave, but it is unclear if it was the victim or a witness. Foreman then allegedly said, “they need to go out and get (redacted) drunk to have fun,” the affidavit states. The landlord then stopped by and Foreman finally left.
On Aug. 16, Foreman allegedly went to the victim’s house and apologized.
On Aug. 27, a second victim told a CPD detective Foreman approached her at a local store a few weeks earlier about performing work at her home and she told him she was on a fixed income. She said he was being “pushy” and told her he had a pair of glasses she had lost and a key to her home. She said at the time she did not think to question him further about his comments, according to the affidavit. She told the detective she was wearing a mask at the store and styling her hair differently than when she had last seen Foreman six months before and she was surprised he recognized her.
Two days later Foreman showed up at the victim’s home unexpectedly. He told her he was, “driving around and decided to come over,” the affidavit states. The woman had never given her address to Foreman, the detective noted.
The victim told Foreman he should have waited for her to call him and she did not have money to pay him and Foreman allegedly said, “I have time on my hands,” and asked to go inside. The victim invited him in, and he said he remembered something about her sink and began removing her vanity while the victim objected. After removing a pipe, he sat in a chair next to the victim and said, “You must be lonely,” and began “fiddling” with his genitals, the affidavit states.
This made the victim uncomfortable and she went to get Foreman a glass of water; when she returned Foreman had slid down his shorts and exposed his genitals. He then moved to the couch so she “could see him better.”
The victim told Foreman to leave and he again appeared to be in a “trance” and began mumbling. The victim said she could not understand him, and he became “mouthy” and said, “You need to get drunk.” The victim repeatedly told Foreman to leave and he said, “I knew you wanted me here. You aren’t being nice to me. I’m glad I left your glasses.”
Foreman then told the victim to give him her phone so he could put his number in it, and she refused. Foreman called her from his phone and then took her phone and added his number to her contacts. The victim said she could not recall ever giving Foreman her number, the detective noted.
On Aug. 16, Foreman returned to the victim’s home and after she refused to let him in, he gave her glasses back and apologized. He then told her, “there’s just something about you, I just can’t describe it” and began making sexually explicit comments to her. He finally left, but not before telling her he still had her house key, the affidavit states.
One of the victims told CPD she believed Foreman was “preying” on elderly victims and would escalate his actions.
CPD was informed of a third victim, but that case occurred in the Lake County Sheriff’s Office jurisdiction.
A warrant was issued for Foreman’s arrest Sept. 2 and he was arrested Sept. 7 and released from the Lake County Jail on $7,000 bond.
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Our Editor-in-Chief, Marilyn M. Aciego, began writing for Lake Legal News in 2010. Born and raised in Lake County, she is a graduate of Umatilla High School and Lake-Sumter State College. She started her journalism career at LSSC, where she was editor of both student publications, The Angler and The Odyssey. Her professional career began at the Daily Commercial in 2004 where she covered cops and courts the majority of her time there until she left in 2009. Currently, along with being Editor-in-Chief of Lake Legal News, she is the Florida bureau chief for an international media organization. She has made more than two dozen appearances on live national television, including Nancy Grace and the Greta Van Susteren show, along with her appearance on Evil Twins. Contact her with breaking news, tips, and feedback by sending an e-mail to 352Tips@gmail.com. You can also contact us on our Facebook page — and make sure you “Like” and “Follow us” there. [PHOTO CREDIT: Bonnie Whicher]
