DAPHNE, Ala.—Daphne police arrested Benjamin Michael Gaffney, 27, and William Claude Farnell III, 54, on Monday at the Scenic Overlook for alleged loitering for the purpose of illegal sexual activity and indecent exposure, police stated.

Gaffney, from Cantonment, Fla., and Farnell, of Daphne, were arrested after city police conducted an undercover operation in response to a number of resident complaints about alleged loitering and “deviant sexual activity” in the area, Lt. Judson Beedy said.

“Typically the complaints we got were from people who had seen these things going on,” Beedy said, adding that usually the police get a few calls but it increased in the past few weeks. “We’ve gotten several calls (about this) or City Hall gets the calls and forwards them to us.”

Deviant sexual activity, according to police, is any act of sexual gratification of two not married to one another involving the sex organs of one person and the mouth or anus of another.

The Daphne Police had an undercover officer at the Overlook who waited in a car until Gaffney allegedly walked over and began a conversation.

“Eventually, it led to asking for sexual favors,” Beedy said.

While the undercover officer was talking to Gaffney about the sexual favors, the undercover officer and Gaffney walked across the parking lot and observed Farnell allegedly masturbating in his vehicle at the Overlook, police stated.

“We’re very serious about this, especially because it’s happening in a family place like a city park,” Beedy said. “We put a lot of resources into this. It takes a week of planning and organizing and we use audio and video equipment, so it’s not something you can set up quickly.”

Gaffney was arrested for loitering for the purpose of deviant sexual activity, and Farnell was arrested for indecent exposure and public intoxication. Both were transported to the Daphne Police Department and are eligible for bail.

Beedy said he does not know how the area became a meeting place for the alleged activities, but police arrested a Mobile teacher around five months ago for loitering for the purpose of illegal sexual activity at the same location.

The Scenic overlook is just North of Interstate-10 near the Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce.