Five men near the Wolfe Neck parking area near the Junction and Breakwater Trail in Rehoboth Beach were arrested this month and are now facing charges on lewdness-related offenses.

The men, three Delawareans and two Maryland residents over the age of 59, are charged with offenses including criminal solicitation, lewdness and indecent exposure, offensive touching and loitering to engage in or solicit sex - all misdemeanors. The arrests follow the state Division of Parks & Recreation Natural Resources Police’s more than year-long anti-lewdness campaign in the Wolfe Neck area.

“We are continuing operations against a serious and longstanding problem with lewd and indecent public behavior there,” said Natural Resources Police Chief Wayne Kline. “Such behavior will not be tolerated in a public area within a Delaware State Park. Every arrest that we’ve made and may make as this enforcement operation continues reiterates that we are committed to eliminating this problem in a public area.”

To deter lewd behavior in the area, DNREC has posted “No Loitering” signs and increased patrol activity of both uniformed and plainclothes officers throughout the last 15 months.

One of the men recently arrested is facing charges of disregarding a police officer’s signal and traffic violations. He was released on $4,900 bond with a future court date.

The other four men are facing a series of misdemeanor charges and face from $345 to more than $2,000 in fines and probation or jail time. They were all released on criminal summons with pending court dates.