‘Nudist’ charged with 4 misdemeanors after being spotted on MKT Trail multiple times

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Charges have been filed against a Columbia man who authorities say walked around the MKT Trail while he was nude multiple times.

Draquawn Jennings, 33, was charged with four counts of misdemeanor sexual misconduct dating back to May 11. He posted a $10,000 bond, according to Boone County Jail records.

According to the probable cause statement, five victims encountered Jennings on the trail from May 11-June 17.

Two people who allegedly encountered Jennings on the trail considered purchasing a gun after those incidents due to safety concerns, according to court documents.

One of the victims allegedly told officers that Jennings was fondling himself when they encountered saw him on the trail, the statement says.

Another victim was cited in court documents stating that Jennings was not clothed while riding a bicycle on May 25.

The statement says a resident was able to get a photo of Jennings following his fifth encounter with someone on the trail and provided it to police. In that photo, Jennings was allegedly only wearing a shirt.

A police officer was able to identify Jennings from the photo and four of the five victims identified Jennings from a photo lineup. Police noted that Jennings had identified himself as a "nudist" on social media.

Tammy Miller with Columbia Parks and Recreation said CPD is in charge of patrols and security on trail systems through park police.

CPD spokesman Colin Imhoff said the department "does not discuss specific tactics" on how it patrols trails.

Matthew Osthoff is a student at the University of Missouri and walks on the MKT trail four to five times a week, and he said he has never seen police or security patrolling the trails.

Osthoff said that in his time walking on the trail, he hasn't experienced any dangers, but hearing about Jennings made him feel uneasy.

"The biggest thing I do worry about is, you know, bikers running into me. But other than that, no, I mean, maybe a few footsteps here, there in the background, you know, look around and don't see anyone," Osthoff said. "There are people out there who do stuff like that. So it does make me more, I'd say more aware I was there and anything else."

Dawson Torpey, a student at Columbia College, said he walks the trail three to five times a week and has never seen security patrolling. He said that although he has never felt unsafe, the stories he has heard about the MKT trail makes sense for those who do feel unsafe.

"I have never felt unsafe. I could see how some people would with some of the stories I've heard, but just walking every day, I've. I've never felt unsafe," said Torpey. "I usually walk in the morning, so I imagine it's safer in the morning."

Torpey said that he has seen children walking on the trail, and imagines that if they encounter similar incidents, it would have made them feel unsafe.

"That probably would've been pretty bad if they were here yesterday when that went down. So I imagine they don't feel too safe on the trail," Torpey said.

A court date has not been scheduled for Jennings. A condition of his bond states that he is not allowed to be on the MKT Trail in Columbia.