San Francisco, CA – San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced today that her office secured a conviction of Michael Watson (35), of San Francisco, after a trial by jury for multiple indecent exposure incidents in the Castro. Mr. Watson was convicted of three felony counts of indecent exposure with a prior conviction (PC 314(1)), three counts of annoying or molesting a child (PC 647(a)(1)) and one count of stalking (PC 646.9(a)).
“I would like to thank the jury for their service in this trial,” said District Attorney Brooke Jenkins. “The jury’s verdict holds Mr. Watson accountable for his reprehensible behavior. My office will always do everything we can to protect children in our city from dangerous individuals like Mr. Watson.”
According to evidence presented at trial, Mr. Watson repeatedly for a year showed up at a boba shop in the Castro where two middle school students, along with their friends, would frequent afterschool on the same day each week. Mr. Watson would arrive outside the boba shop completely nude and covered in oil. He would stare at the group and masturbate the entire time they were present. On January 15, 2025, he followed them from the boba shop towards Dolores Park.
The case against Mr. Watson was successfully prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Tanisha Gooch, with assistance from District Attorney Investigator Shan Johnson, paralegals Andrew Ong and Cassidy Schreiner and IT support from Noeaeh Pinaire. Victim Advocate Abigail Cordova worked closely with the victims through the pendency of this case. Prosecutors were able to develop a strong case against Mr. Watson based on the thorough investigation of officers and investigators from the San Francisco Police Department’s Special Victims Unit.
“I would like to thank the survivors for coming forward to tell their story, their parents for supporting them through the process, and the jury for their thoughtful deliberations,” said Assistant District Attorney Tanisha Gooch. “As a community, we must stand up for what’s right and report inappropriate conduct instead of turning a blind eye. Mr. Watson’s actions were very disturbing and went on for far too long. The Castro is a place where everyone should feel safe and lewd conduct will not be tolerated.”
Mr. Watson is currently in custody. He faces up to five years in state prison and must register as a sex offender for a minimum of 10 years pursuant to Penal Code section 290 for his crimes. Sentencing is scheduled for October 29, 2025.
Court Number: 25002445
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