Man exposes himself in Grand Forks church parking lot

Police say a man has admitted to exposing himself to three girls, ages 8 to 9, in the parking lot of a Grand Forks church and offering to pay one of them for oral sex.

Michael Novak Jr., 28, appeared Monday in state District Court on charges of indecent exposure and solicitation of a minor.

A police report says the girls were playing Aug. 15 in the parking lot across the street from St. Michael’s Church, at the corner of Fifth Avenue North and North Fifth Street, when Novak exposed himself to them. St. Michael's Catholic School, which is also across the street from the lot, was not in session at the time.

One girl wrote down the license plate of the vehicle Novak was driving, which belongs to his girlfriend, the report states.

“These juveniles had the presence of mind to take down a license number and relay it to us accurately,” said Lt. Rahn Farder of the Grand Forks Police Department. “That allowed us to make contact eventually with the suspect.”

Farder said the girls alerted an adult who contacted police. All three girls picked Novak out of photo lineups, the report says.

One of the girls, a 9-year-old, reported that Novak had approached her Aug. 14, the day before, on the 1100 block of North Fifth Street in another parking lot, while she was walking a dog and offered her $200 to perform oral sex on him.

“The victim advised that his penis was exposed and that he was ‘wiggling’ it while he offered her this money,” the report says.

During an Aug. 25 interview with investigators, Novak admitted to the girls’ allegations, the report says.

Farder encourages parents to talk with their kids about the potential for such incidents and tell them about “stranger danger.” “We’re fortunate that this type of thing doesn’t happen very often in Grand Forks,” he said.

Novak, of East Grand Forks, was being held Monday at the Grand Forks County jail, with a bail amount of $27,500. He’s due in court Sept. 29 for a preliminary hearing.

Court officials did not know if he had an attorney. A message left for him at the county jail was not returned Monday.

Ingersoll reports on crime and courts. Reach him at (701) 780-1269; (800) 477-6572, ext. 269; or send e-mail to aingersoll@gfherald.com.

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