By JESSICA SIEFF
Niles Daily Star

A Kalamazoo man was arrested for masturbating in his car in the parking lot of Wal-Mart on South 11th Street in Niles.
Joel Huff, 54, has received five years of probation for aggravated indecent exposure after being sentenced in a Berrien County Trial Court courtroom Monday morning.
The victim in this case had reportedly been walking alone in the parking lot when she was seen by Huff, who then apparently committed the act.
Prosecutor Mary Malesky said Huff’s actions had “a tremendous impact” on his victim, who carried a “concern for the safety of the community with Mr. Huff around,” Malesky said.
Huff addressed the court and said he had great remorse for his actions and was willing to make up for his crime.
“I’m very sorry and I’m going to do exactly what’s outlined for me to do,” Huff said.
Berrien County Trial Court Judge Scott Schofield criticized Huff’s apology, telling him “as far as I’m concerned there are several parts to a good apology,” which included saying “I’m sorry” as well as showing a commitment to an idea of what the offender is going to do to make up for his crime and acknowledgment of what was done to the victim and the impact it has had on them.
Huff apologized a second time, “for doing something very stupid.”
“I wasn’t thinking,” he said. “I’m aware that she (the victim) had a lot of pain because of this. I’m sure she was scared … of me being there and doing what I’ve done. She probably wasn’t sure what was going to happen.”
“Well, she was afraid you were going to assault her,” Schofield said. “You have a woman alone in a parking lot, very vulnerable, a man approaching her in a vehicle…”
Schofield said Huff’s actions would have a long lasting effect on his victim.
“What makes it worse is, this is not your first time is it?” Schofield asked of his crime.
Huff has been ordered to register with the state’s sex offender registry. Telling him that violation of his probation could lead to a long jail sentence, Schofield ordered Huff to spend the next 180 days on tether, in addition to his five-year probationary term and to pay fees, costs and restitution of $3,234.