Man Masturbates In Front Of Bergen County Elementary School, Police Say

FAIR LAWN, NJ — A man dropped his shorts in front of a Fort Lee elementary school during dropoff on Tuesday morning and began masturbating, police said.

Arthur Kim, 31, of Palisades Park was charged with three counts of lewdness and 11 other offenses, said Fort Lee police on Thursday.

According to Deputy Chief Edward Young, around 8:17 a.m., an officer was helping with traffic flow during dropoff at School No. 2 when a man in a Grey Honda disregarded the officer's commands.

The man drove around a barricade, then continued onto a sidewalk at a high rate of speed, police said, ignoring a "DO NOT ENTER" sign.

The car stopped in front of the school, police said.

Kim then "Pulled his shorts and underwear down, exposing his genitals, and began to mastrubate," Young noted.

Kim was arrested and charged with:

• Sexual assault
• Three counts of lewdness
• Failure to pull over for an emergency vehicle
• Careless driving: Likely to endanger person or property
• Reckless driving
• Improper passing
• Failure to have inspection
• Traffic on marked lanes
• Failure to observe traffic control device
• Obstructing passage of other vehicles
• Delaying traffic
• Failure to possess driver's license or registration

Police Chief Matthew Hintze and Schools Superintendent Diane Collazo collaborated to address any concerns from students and staff, and the school day — the third day of classes in the district — continued without incident.

Kim was taken to the Bergen County Jail, police said.

Police and school officials are investigating the incident.

"The safety and security of our schools, students, teachers and employees, are our most important priority," said a statement from police. "Ensuring a safe learning environment is paramount."