The New York Police Department arrested a 32-year-old man from Ohio on Wednesday for allegedly throwing a sex toy that hit other fans during a WNBA game earlier this month.
Police said Charles Burgess of Dayton, Ohio, attended the Aug. 5 game between the Dallas Wings and New York Liberty at Barclays Center and smuggled in a green sex toy that he later flung from the stands. The toy did not reach the court and instead hit a 12-year-old girl sitting nearby, according to police.
Burgess faces 10 criminal charges related to the incident, including multiple counts of assault. The top charge is second-degree attempted assault, a felony that carries a maximum sentence of seven years in prison. Among the other charges are interference with a professional sporting event, reckless endangerment, harassment and obscenity. Burgess pleaded not guilty to all charges.
A deposition from the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office said an unnamed witness reviewed surveillance video that showed Burgess entering the arena and later pulling an object from his pants before throwing it toward the court.
The complaint said the victim “was struck by a large, hard object” shaped like a sex toy and suffered bodily harm. The deposed person identified the man as Burgess after viewing photographs of him from the Ohio Department of Motor Vehicles.
