Judge Reportedly Throws Out Arrest Of Long Beach Man Accused Of Exposing Himself To Vice Officer

LONG BEACH (CBSLA.com) — A Los Angeles County judge sharply condemned sting operations conducted by Long Beach police against gay men in and around public restrooms as discriminatory, it was reported Friday.

Superior Court Judge Halim Dhanidina said the police department's practice of staging lewd conduct stings while using exclusively male officers as undercover decoys was "indicative of animus toward homosexuals," according to the Los Angeles Times.

Dhanidina's reported comments were in response to the arrest of Long Beach resident Rory Moroney for lewd conduct and indecent exposure in Oct. 2014 after he allegedly exposed himself to an undercover Long Beach police officer at Recreation Park.

The arrest was thrown out by Dhanidina, The Times reported. It wasn't immediately known whether prosecutors would file an appeal.

According to The Times, Dhanidina cited an preliminary hearing held earlier this month in which "several officers" said they had arrested exclusively male suspects for lewd conduct while working undercover.

Saying the LBPD "intentionally targeted men who engaged in homosexual sex," Dhanidina argued that the "presence and tactics" of vice officers "actually cause the crimes to occur."

Long Beach police were expected to comment on the ruling Friday afternoon.