Sponsored By. News last week that Duluth's Thompson Hill rest stop is sometimes used as a location for gay sex encounters came as a revelation to many local residents, but not to law enforcement personnel or the readers of Craigslist personal ads.
One Craigslist ad from Aug. I'd like to meet again. While officials have been taking steps to discourage such get-togethers, they also say reports of people witnessing indecent behavior at Thompson Hill are rare. The problem was highlighted last week when news broke that the State Patrol had investigated a report of public urination in the Thompson Hill parking lot and stumbled upon the aftermath of an apparent liaison between state Rep.
Kerry Gauthier and a year-old male in a wooded area. No charges were filed in the incident. The department of transportation has followed state justice department guidelines on dealing with illicit sexual activity in public places, said Kevin Gutknecht, director of communications for MnDOT. The guidelines include installing stainless steel toilet stall partitions to cut down on graffiti, requests for increased law enforcement patrol and the removal of brush and vegetation to allow for better sightlines for law enforcement, he said.
It's really not fair to the people who come to use the rest area for the purpose it was intended. Local law enforcement agrees the rest stop has a reputation in some circles, but Duluth Deputy Chief of Police Robin Roeser said he couldn't find any recent complaints or tickets for a situation there similar to Gauthier's. It's somehow happening outside of public view. I'm guessing if this type of behavior was happening out in the open right out in the parking lot, we'd probably be having a lot more calls on it.
Reports filed involving Gauthier's July incident include thoughts from law enforcement that indicate the site's reputation: "It has been my experience that in the late evening hours walking that path, I have come across men having sex and watching others have sex," wrote Trooper Scott Parker.
