Darwin dad Benjamin John Ortiz busted masturbating in Stuart Park McDonald’s

A Darwin dad’s grubby hobby of secretly filming young women was finally exposed after he was busted for indecent exposure at a highway Maccas.

Public masturbator Benjamin John Ortiz was sentenced in the Supreme Court to 17 months in prison after pleading guilty to indecent exposure and recording an indecent image of a child. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Sarah Matray

A grubby Darwin dad who pulled out his penis while watching two teenagers at a highway Maccas will be released to a home in the same neighbourhood as one of his young victims.

Public masturbator Benjamin John Ortiz was sentenced in the Supreme Court to 17 months in prison after pleading guilty to indecent exposure and recording an indecent image of a child.

However after seven months on remand, Justice John Burns ruled that the 44-year-old should be released immediately under a suspended sentence.

The court heard that Ortiz — described as a “wonderful father” and “hard worker” — was busted after CCTV footage captured him masturbating in the Stuart Park McDonald’s at 2.20pm, Friday July 14.

Justice Burns said Ortiz was alone and waiting for his meal when he spied two 14-year-olds also in line for their food.

He said the 44-year-old started “covertly” filming the young teens, and sat at a table just 6m from where they were eating.

“Shortly thereafter, you reached down under the table with your hand, removed your penis from the top of your shorts and commenced stroking and rubbing it with your hand,” Justice Burns said.

He said Ortiz would temporarily stop whenever other customers, including children, passed by his table before resuming masturbating.

Eventually the two 14-year-olds started noticing the strange man staring at them, appearing to film them and “acting suspiciously”.

Justice Burns said the teenagers realised from the reflection in the glass that the stranger’s penis was outside his shorts and he was touching himself.

“The victims felt gross and decided to leave immediately,” he said.

Benjamin Ortiz was busted after CCTV footage captured him masturbating in the Stuart Park McDonald’s at 2.20pm, Friday July 14. Picture: Zayda Dollie

After they left, CCTV captured Ortiz secretly filming other women and girls in the restaurant.

Two days later after the teenagers reported the incident NT Police arrested Ortiz

“Police located dozens of covert videos recorded by you of unknown females at various locations around Darwin, including where you have zoomed in on their buttock areas, genital area, and their breasts,” Justice Burns said.

Police also found disturbing videos of his children in Ortiz’s neighbourhood who were covertly filmed while playing in their backyard of their home, one of whom was in her bra and underwear.

Their father’s victim impact statement said he found Ortiz’s behaviour “confusing and emotionally disturbing”.

Justice Burns said the 44-year-old’s actions were “unacceptable by any community standards”.

“Young girls and young women have the right to go wherever they please without being objectified and sexualised by men engaging in perverted behaviour.

“It hardly needs to be said that young girls playing in their own backyard should feel safe to do so.”

Ortiz initially denied that his actions were sexually motivated, which Justice Burns said “was clearly not the truth”.

Yet Justice Burns said Ortiz’s de facto partner remained supportive of him, saying he was a “wonderful” and “involved” father in his daughter’s life.

Justice Burns said this description was “difficult to reconcile” with the Ortiz’s crimes.

Justice Burns said while the 44-year-old was recommended as suitable for community supervision, he held concerns about the sexual offender returning to his home, which was near one of his victims.

As part of his sentence Ortiz will be unable to contact anyone younger than 16, apart from his daughter, for the next 12 months.

Originally published as Darwin dad Benjamin John Ortiz busted masturbating in Stuart Park McDonald’s