Special Report: Exposing the Law

GULF COAST (WALA) - The 2011 Alabama legislative session will convene in March, and one Mobile County woman is hoping for increased penalties with the indecent exposure law.

She is a flashing victim.

"It needs to be changed," said the unidentified woman.

What happened?

FOX10 News will not reveal her identity, so she will be called "Kristi".

She was first profiled in May 2010. The mother told FOX10 News about her disgusting encounter with Dana Stegall, or as he is called, "The Baldwin County Flasher".

Kristi was at a Loxley gas station when she thought she was simply giving a driver directions. But then she looked down.

"He was exposing himself and basically scared the daylights out of me," said Kristi. "I had good intentions that day."

Same crime, older case

Stegall's crimes go back 20 years. That's when Robertsdale bookstore manager Lynn Hinote was flashed during the early '90s.

"If something is not done about him, I'm scared it is going to escalate," said Hinote.

She was driving on County Road 83 and saw "The Baldwin County Flasher" on the side of the road.

"I was getting ready to hold my hand up to wave and all of a sudden the shirt came up, his pants were down. There you go. I was like, 'I know he just did not do that,'" said Hinote.

She reported the case, and Stegall was convicted of indecent exposure. But Hinote said the look in his eyes leaves a lasting impression.

"That's how I picked him out of the line up was his eyes, because when he flipped his shirt up, he covered the bottom part of his face. And all you saw was his eyes and his nose. And it was his eyes. It's something in those eyes, you know something is wrong with him," said Hinote.

Suspect found guilty

Stegall was eventually convicted of indecent exposure in Kristi's case as well.

Court documents show he has been arrested more than two dozen times for the same crime. But because it is a misdemeanor, he can only serve one year in jail and does not have to register as a sex offender.

That reality didn't sit too well with Kristi, so she developed a petition with thousands of signatures. That document caught the attention of State Representative Jim Barton.

So he sponsored House Bill 634. It would have made indecent exposure a felony for those convicted three times or more. But the bill died in the committee phase.

Who's responsible for failed attempt?

Barton blames the failure on politics because Democrats were in control in 2010. But recent elections have transferred power to the Republicans.

"It's a completely different day. If I can't get this thing passed, then it will be on me,"said Barton.

Opposition around the corner

In March, Barton plans to present the exact same bill, but he will face opposition from lawmakers, like Representative Yvonne Kennedy. She favors rehabilitating offenders, rather than locking them up.

"What we want to do is to find out the disconnect in their lives that would cause them to continue to do the things they do that would get them in trouble. So rather than incarcerate, I think we need to rehabilitate," said Kennedy.

But Barton said he can't let that argument stand in his way.

"I don't want to sit here with you again and tell you that it failed. It's easy for me to point fingers at this point and tell you what happened. Now it's on me. It's on the Republican party. My colleagues in the House and the Senate got to get this thing passed," said Barton.

For now, Kristi must still deal with what she experienced. She said if the measure fails, she will be upset.

"Yes, I will be disappointed. But I am very persistent. I will continue to make calls. I will continue to stand up for the survivors of this," said Kristi.

Because even though she can't erase her memory, she can attempt to make sure history doesn't repeat itself.

What's next?

Barton will present the bill to the House of Representatives. If it passes there, it will go to the Senate. If both sides agree on any amendments, the bill is delivered to Governor Robert Bentley. He has the right to veto it. If not, the bill becomes law.

Session will begin march first. Barton said he plans to present his bill during the first week

One more thought

In one of Stegall's older cases, prosecutors told him he could avoid jail time if he would agree to be chemically castrated.

He refused.

Contact your legislator

House of Representatives, click here .

Senate, click here .