Utah Woman Charged With Lewdness For Being Topless In Her Own Home

A Utah woman was arrested and charged with lewdness after going topless in her own home. Tilli Buchanan was hot and dusty after installing drywall with her husband in their house in the suburbs of Salt Lake City and decided to take off their shirts. The problem, at least according to the law, is that her husband’s three children, aged between 9 and 13, were there at the time.

  1. Utah has a law concerning lewdness involving a child. Buchanan was charged with three counts of this crime after the children’s mother reported her to police. Police claim that Buchanan removed her shirt and bra “while under the influence of alcohol,” while her lawyers say that Buchanan explained to the children that she is “a feminist and wanted to make a point that everybody should be fine with walking around their house or elsewhere with skin showing.”
  2. Unsurprisingly, she appealed against the charges. However, a Salt Lake City judge sided with the prosecutors in asserting that breasts are considered lewd in American society and that judges shouldn’t try to find ways around the law, The Guardian reports. Even the involvement of the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah couldn’t help her.
  3. If convicted, the consequences could be catastrophic. A conviction on counts of lewdness involving a child could not only carry a jail sentence but also force Buchanan to appear on the child sex offender registry – yes, just for being topless in her own home.
  4. Buchanan eventually took a plea deal. Given that the court and the prosecution seemed hell-bent on punishing her for this “crime,” Buchanan ultimately decided the best course of action would be to take a plea deal so that she didn’t have to go to prison or register as a sex offender. The plea deal saw her plead guilty to one misdemeanor count of lewdness. The other two charges were dropped, and the one she pleaded guilty to will be dropped after a year if she doesn’t commit any further crimes.
  5. Her husband wasn’t charged, by the way. As if this whole case wasn’t ridiculous enough, Buchanan’s husband who was also topless faced no charges and was never arrested. It’s only women’s breasts that are apparently considered lewd (but only because men sexualize them, of course!). What a world!
  6. I think Buchanan’s lawyer’s statement says it all. “This whole thing is ridiculous,” attorney Randy Richards said, as reported by The Spectrum. “She (or other women) have to worry about their kids seeing them topless? It’s ridiculous.” Indeed!

Bolde has been a source of dating and relationship advice for single women around the world since 2014. We combine scientific data, experiential wisdom, and personal anecdotes to provide help and encouragement to those frustrated by the journey to find love. Follow us on Instagram @bolde_media or on Facebook @BoldeMedia
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