Urination charges advance to court

WILKES-BARRE – A King’s College student charged by city police with urinating on a religious Christmas display on Public Square waived his right to a preliminary hearing Wednesday in Wilkes-Barre Central Court.

Nathan Strawn, 22, of Wilkes-Barre, waived to Luzerne County Court misdemeanor charges of indecent exposure, open lewdness and desecration of venerated objects and summary charges of disorderly conduct and public drunkenness.

Strawn is expected to apply to be accepted into the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program, a special probation program for first-time non-violent offenders. He remains free on $10,000 unsecured bail.

Police allege Strawn was “observed fully exposed urinating on the Nativity scene located on Public Square” at about 1:54 a.m. Jan. 10.

After Wednesday’s brief hearing, Strawn hurried out of Central Court, ignoring reporters’ questions about the incident, only saying he “already apologized” publicly in a newspaper.

King’s College Public Relations Director John McAndrew said he could not comment about Strawn’s status at the school, citing student privacy policies.

A statement released by King’s after the charges were filed stated: “King’s College, through the Dean of Students Office, reviews students’ behavior that takes place on and off campus. Such behavior that is described in the report not only is a criminal violation of the law but is affront to the mission of King’s College and a violation of the Student Code of Conduct.

“Such behavior will be addressed swiftly by the Student Affairs Office in a manner that is fitting the seriousness of the offense to the College and Wilkes-Barre Community,” the statement concluded.

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