No Ifs, Ands Or Butts About It In Renton -- Charges Asked Against Man In Thong Swimsuit

RENTON - In what might be called a case of much ado about very little, Renton police have recommended indecent-exposure charges against Bradley Johnson, 23, for wearing a thong swimsuit at Gene Coulon Park on Seafair Sunday.

Thong suits leave little to the imagination. The back of the suit is reduced to a narrow strip of material that runs between the buttocks.

According to Johnson, less fabric means more comfort.

"I think it's more comfortable because it doesn't have the material over the butt," said Johnson, who says he owns a swimwear design company, Viper High Fashion Sportswear.

According to Renton police, that much less is just too much.

In the police report of the incident Aug. 4, officers wrote that too much of Johnson's back and front sides was visible, particularly while he bent over to tie up a boat at the beach.

"It was sick. . . . There's little kids around there, and there's old folks around there, and they don't want to see that," said Bev Petersen, one of the witnesses who complained to police.

City prosecutor Doug Langholz says a decision may come as early as today on whether to file charges.

Renton's indecent-exposure law is patterned after state law and defines the misdemeanor act as intentionally making "any open and obscene exposure . . . knowing that such conduct is likely to cause reasonable affront or alarm."

Johnson, a Renton resident, said he doesn't understand what all the fuss is about.

"It's really strange. Washington must be really conservative," he said. "It's like (suits) lots of girls wear."

"They may be common in some places, but Renton is traditionally family oriented, and Gene Coulon (Park) is traditionally family oriented, and they're not used to that kind of thing," said Linda Hicks, Renton police spokeswoman.

Steve Chavey, supervisor for King County pools and beaches, said modern swimsuits, even non-thong outfits, often raise poolside eyebrows.

"A lot of the suits that are normally worn in competition are pretty revealing," he said.

When pool or beach directors get complaints about especially shocking swimwear, Chavey said, they usually ask the person to cover a little more the next time they swim.

"It's not a big problem at all," he said.