A Conneaut Lake resident pleaded guilty to indecent exposure on Thursday, Feb. 5, after two separate incidents near the North Village residential buildings on April 24 and May 5, 2025.

After arriving nearly 40 minutes late to the plea hearing in Crawford County Common Court of Pleas, Scott Moersch, 32, pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of indecent exposure, a charge that carries a possibility of up to two years in jail and a fine of up to $5,000.

Moersch originally faced eight counts after the incidents occurred last spring: six misdemeanor charges consisting of two counts of indecent exposure, two counts of open lewdness and two counts of loitering and prowling at nighttime, and two summary counts of disorderly conduct.

Public Safety opened an investigation on April 24 based on a report that a “concerning male” was walking around the North Village resident halls, according to the probable cause affidavit filed in the case. The student who made the report told Public Safety that the man was naked from the waist down and lifted his arms to expose himself towards her.

In the plea hearing, Moersch admitted to parking his car on Highland Avenue and walking around North Village at 12:05 a.m. without pants or underwear, according to the affidavit.

The affidavit also states that on May 5 a Public Safety officer was on patrol around 2:18 a.m. when he spotted the same vehicle from the April incident. After reviewing surveillance footage, the officer determined that Moersch parked his car on John Street in front of North Village I, got out of his car and walked the street fully nude before returning to his car.

In hearing the plea agreement last week, President Judge John Spataro expressed his confusion to Moersch. Spataro asked Moersch whether the incidents were related to intoxication or mental illness, despite no mention of either in the case documents. Moersch replied it was “just a bad decision,” prompting his lawyer, Leonard Berger Jr., to add that “nothing like the incident has happened since.”

Spataro recommended to Moersch that he consider filing a pre-sentencing memorandum. The memorandum, a written document from the defense counsel to the deciding judge, is meant to provide a personal narrative explaining the defendant’s actions and to shed light on mitigating factors that might impact sentencing.

“This is so uncommon,” Spataro said, “it would help me prepare better.”

Moersch’s sentencing hearing is set for April 10 at 8:45 a.m.