An 81-year-old Atkinson man was arrested after he made a sexual proposition to an undercover male police officer in a wooded area at a Haverhill, Mass., park, police said.
Robert Beaulieu of 25 Ridgewood Drive was charged with indecent assault and battery after the arrest Wednesday at 4:23 p.m. in Winnekenni Park.
The park is a favorite family spot. It has hundreds of acres of woodlands and trails, tennis courts and a playground with equipment for children. It also has a historic castle.
Haverhill police Capt. Alan Ratte said police have received reports of illicit activity among people who park in the lot near the castle and walk into the nearby woods.
"It is a meeting place for people who go there for sexual purposes," Ratte said.
He said the undercover officer walked into the wooded area and was solicited by Beaulieu.
Ratte said police will conduct more undercover operations in an attempt to stop the activity.
The park is off Route 110, near the junction of Route 108, about a quarter-mile from the Kenoza Street turn to Northern Essex Community College.
