Utah Man Not Guilty Of Indecent Exposure On Plane From Minneapolis

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - A Utah man who says he exposed himself on a plane because he accidentally got peppermint oil on his private parts has been cleared of wrongdoing.

A judge ruled Thursday that 49-year-old Stuart Ronald Clarke is not guilty of indecent exposure.

The incident happened on a Delta flight from Minneapolis to Salt Lake City last November, when a seatmate says she spotted Clarke fiddling with his genitals.

Prosecutors say he told investigators he put oil on his forehead for a headache and then went to the bathroom with the oil still on his hands.

He told authorities he unbuttoned his jeans as he became uncomfortable.

The judge cited several reasons for the not guilty finding, including that Clarke covered himself with a jacket.