Timothy Lawson (Courtesy: LVMPD)LAS VEGAS (FOX5) -
A Cimarron Memorial High School teacher accused of exposing himself in public faced similar charges in 2007, but pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct.
Timothy Lawson, 35, was arrested Friday and charged with open and gross lewdness in connection with a June 2011 incident in which a former student claimed she saw Lawson masturbating in public in a northwest Las Vegas neighborhood.
Metro police also suspect Lawson may be connected to more than one dozen similar reports taken during the past two months.
In each case, police said the suspect would "solicit the attention of the victims, wanting them to watch what he was doing."
According to an arrest report, detectives met with Lawson at his home in March, where he denied responsibility and refused to submit a DNA sample.
When asked about the previous arrest, Lawson said he was intoxicated and blacked out or may have been drugged, police said.
Those incidents and Lawson's plea took place after he was hired in May 2007, so they did not appear on a school district background check.
The district did not find out about Lawson's past until he was arrested in March for driving without a valid license, according to the report.
Authorities believe there may be more victims in the case. Anyone with information is urged to call Metro's Sexual Assault Detail at 702-828-3421 or Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555.
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