LEOMINSTER — A West Townsend man was arrested after allegedly exposing himself and touching another individual’s genitals at the Dollar Tree located at 526 N Main Street on Monday, December 30, 2024.
According to a Criminal Complaint submitted by the Leominster Police Department to the Leominster District Court—obtained by News Link Live via a FOIA request—the man arrested following this incident was Thomas Dwyer.
According to police, Thomas A. Dwyer, 37, is a resident of 407 Main Street, West Townsend, MA. He previously lived on Florence Street in Leominster.
Following his arrest on Dec. 30, Dwyer was charged with:
- Indecent Assault & Battery on Person 14 or Over
- Open and Gross Lewdness (Subsequent Offense)
Dwyer’s bail was set at $1,000 cash.
Dwyer was arraigned in Leominster District Court on Dec. 31, 2024. Following his arraignment, he was released on bail under the condition that he stay away from and not contact the victim and the Dollar Tree store.
(More information, including Personnel Narratives from arresting officers and the Statement of Facts, was not included in the FOIA request obtained by News Link Live because Judge Andrew Abdella approved a motion by the Commonwealth on Dec. 31, 2024, to restrict sharing witness information. On the same day, the Commonwealth also filed a motion to impound the files, which Judge Abdella approved.)
Dwyer has a history of similar offenses, dating back to at least 2019.
Prior Offenses
Dwyer was charged with open and gross lewdness after an incident in the Lunenburg Walmart parking lot in October 2020. A woman wrote down his vehicle’s license plate and reported him to police, leading to a court summons on a single charge of open and gross lewdness shortly after.
According to the Sentinel & Enterprise, on October 17, 2020, a 50-year-old woman told Lunenburg police that when she arrived at Walmart around 10 p.m. there were no cars parked near hers. However, upon returning, she found a white Jeep Patriot parked so close to her vehicle that she couldn’t fit between them.
As she was putting her shopping bags into her vehicle, she noticed a man—later identified as Thomas Dwyer, “touching himself in a sexual manner” with his pants pulled down to his knees, the woman reported to police.
Officers from Lunenburg and West Townsend went to Dwyer’s residence to question him. Initially, he denied being at Walmart but later admitted he had been there, stating he would inform his parole officer, which he did. He also acknowledged that he needed help, according to police reports. After he was arraigned for this incident, Dwyer was released on his own personal recognizance.
That incident marked the second time in seven months that Dwyer had been charged with open and gross lewdness. On April 27, 2020, he was charged with the same offense, along with lewd, wanton, and lascivious conduct, after a similar incident in the Target parking lot in Leominster. When he was booked, he couldn’t post the $100 cash bail so he was detained at the Worcester House of Correction and summonsed to district court in May for arraignment, the Sentinel & Enterprise reported.
During his arraignment, Dwyer pleaded not guilty and was ordered held unless he posted a $1,000 cash bail or $10,000 surety. He was also ordered to stay away from the victim and Target, according to court documents.
He later appealed his detention in Superior Court, which was granted, leading to his release, the Sentinel & Enterprise reported.
Additionally, in March 2019, Dwyer was charged with open and gross lewdness in Leominster, though that charge was later dismissed.
Disclaimer: If you are wondering why the incident in this story was from December 2024, that’s because I had to file FOIA request(s) to get the court documents for the incident. FOIAs are time consuming.
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