Daphne Man Charged With Indecent Exposure at Village Point Park After Victim Photographs His Truck

DAPHNE, Ala. — A Daphne man has been arrested and charged with indecent exposure following an incident at Village Point Park, according to the Daphne Police Department.

What Police Say Happened

Officers were called to Village Point Park at 27710 Main Street around 4 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 20, for a report of indecent exposure, according to a department news release.

Officers spoke with a woman who said a man had approached her in the parking lot and “intentionally exposed his genitals,” the release said.

“The victim stood her ground and warned that she would defend herself, at which point he fled the area in his pickup truck,” the release said.

The Photograph That Identified Him

As the man drove away, the woman photographed his vehicle.

That single action is what moved the case from an unsolvable report to an arrest. Officers were able to use the photograph to positively identify the suspect as 22-year-old Michael Ryan Cain of Daphne.

Incidents of this kind are frequently reported without any usable identifying information, because they are brief, occur without witnesses beyond the victim, and end with the person leaving immediately. A photograph of a vehicle — particularly one clear enough to show a tag — gives investigators a concrete starting point that a physical description alone rarely provides.

The Surrender and the Charge

Cain turned himself in Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 1, at the Daphne Police Department Correction Center on an outstanding warrant. He was booked into jail and is scheduled to appear before the Municipal Judge in October.

He is charged with indecent exposure, a Class A misdemeanor under Alabama law.

What a Conviction Would Carry

According to the department, an indecent exposure conviction carries a fine of up to $5,000 and up to one year in jail.

A convicted offender could also be required to register with the Alabama Sex Offender Registry under Alabama Code Title 15-20A-5(9), which lists indecent exposure among the offenses that can trigger registration requirements.

That registration consequence is what distinguishes this charge from most Class A misdemeanors. The jail exposure is capped at a year, but registration obligations extend far beyond any sentence and carry residency, employment and reporting requirements that persist for years.

Employment Consequences

Fairhope Mayor Sherry Sullivan confirmed that Cain is a City of Fairhope employee and has been placed on leave.

Administrative leave in this posture is a personnel action, not a finding. Municipalities commonly place an employee on leave when a criminal charge becomes public, both to remove the person from public-facing duties while the case proceeds and to preserve the city’s options pending its outcome.

What Happens Next

The case is set for Daphne Municipal Court in October. Municipal court handles misdemeanor charges filed under city ordinance or state law within city limits, and a defendant convicted there has the right to appeal for a new trial in circuit court.

As with any criminal case, the charge is an allegation, and Cain is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Reporting Incidents in Public Parks

The Daphne Police Department encourages anyone who experiences or witnesses a similar incident to call police immediately rather than after leaving the area, since a prompt call gives officers the best chance of locating a vehicle still nearby.

Where it is safe to do so, noting or photographing a vehicle and its tag — as the woman in this case did — is frequently the difference between a report that closes unresolved and one that leads to an identification.

Update: Suspect Was Already Under Felony Indictment

Court records show that Michael Cain was already facing felony charges in Baldwin County at the time of his arrest on the indecent exposure charge.

Cain was indicted in August 2025 on two felony counts of transmitting obscene material to a child. The indictment alleges he sent explicit images to two separate children in May 2024. Records show he was arrested on June 21, 2024, and his bond in that case was set at $50,000.

After Cain’s arrest on the new charge, a motion was filed asking a judge to revoke his bond in the earlier felony case.

A bond revocation motion asks a court to find that a defendant released pending trial has violated the conditions of that release — most commonly by being arrested again. If granted, the defendant is returned to custody until the original case is resolved. The motion is a request, not a ruling, and a judge must decide it after hearing from both sides.

Employment Status and Next Court Date

Cain is expected in Daphne Municipal Court in October on the indecent exposure charge.

Fairhope Mayor Sherry Sullivan has said Cain, a city employee, has been placed on leave. Sources said Cain was escorted off city property Wednesday afternoon.

All charges are accusations. Cain is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.