Registered sex offender accused of exposing self, recording others at library

A Columbia man has been charged with a misdemeanor after he was accused of exposing himself and recording videos of Columbia Public Library patrons.

Police were sent to the library Saturday afternoon on a report that James Tharp, 61, was acting suspiciously and possibly taking video of other people in the library, Columbia Police Department officer Chad Gooch wrote in a probable cause statement. Gooch wrote that he found Tharp and reviewed video on his phone, which showed Tharp exposing himself while recording a woman inside the library.

Library spokeswoman Mitzi St. John wrote in response to emailed questions that library staff found the accusations against Tharp “disturbing.”

“Our staff is trained to be alert to unusual behavior that may adversely affect others in the library,” St. John wrote. “We are grateful to have members of the Columbia Police Department in the library who can quickly take care of incidents that might occur in our building. The situation was handled efficiently and with minimal disruption to other patrons.”

Prosecutors charged Tharp with first-degree sexual misconduct.

Tharp is a registered sex offender convicted of voyeurism in 2000, according to the Missouri sex offender registry. He posted a $1,000 bond and was released from the Boone County Jail on Sunday. Tharp was set for an initial court appearance Tuesday afternoon.

This is the second incident of reported voyeurism at the library this month. Jay Robinson, 42, of Boone County was arrested Aug. 3 after a camera was found in a public unisex restroom near the children’s section.

Police said they found footage on the camera of Robinson hiding the camera and other patrons using the restroom.

Robinson has yet to be charged.