General Manager for Fox's WTVT-Ch. 13 Arrested Friday Night

Jail officials have posted a charge report detailing the arrest Friday night of WTVT-Ch. 13 general manager Robert Linger.

The charges are lewd and lascivious behavior and exposure of a sexual organ, and the arrest occurred at 11:15 Friday night in a movie theater at an area adult video store, according to Tampa police.

According to the online report, Linger bailed out on $750 bond this morning. Calls to WTVT were routed to the voice mail of news director Mike McClain; a request that staffers at the station call McClain directly was denied.

Rival WTSP-Ch. 10 posted a short item on the arrest on its Web site this morning. In the arrest report, Linger gave his employer name as New World Communications; when Fox purchased WTVT from New World Communications in 1997, it structured the ownership under a company named New World Communications of Tampa.

Fox officials would not say whether Linger would be allowed to return to his job on Monday. A story on the station's Web site says "Fox 13 is aware of the matter and is currently reviewing it."

Back in September, when Bill Carey, the general manager at Tampa's ABC affiliate WFTS-Ch. 28, was arrested following a hit and run in which police allege he accosted the other driver at the scene, Carey was suspended by the station's owners and never returned to his old job.

According to Tampa police, Linger was among six men arrested Friday night for masturbating on the premises of the Fantasy Land Adult Video Store. Their report said Linger and five other men formed a circle around two undercover police officers and began the act.

Police also have a history of arresting folks at that address; we wrote a story in 2002 about 14 arrests at the store. 

Comments

[Big bob]

Robby, slap that thing silly! For heaven's sake. what movie were you watching? Why didn't buy the damn thing and watch it at home on "spantravision?"

[weird Al]

The Jury is still out on this one. He was obviously doing an investigative report for the news show.
DNA will clear him of charges that the semen on his hand was from another patron. Not Guilty!

[david]

Pee Wee is that you?

Creeps hang out in those places. What kind of Fantasy Land is that?

[Ssmith@yahoo.com]

I can't wait until this happens to Bill O'Reilly.

[Sharon]

Who cares? I'm a 60-year-old woman and I don't. It's a good channel and the news staff is great. That says that this man probably does his job, and I don't care what he does on his personal time as long as he doesn't commit a real crime, like robbing, raping, maiming, killing, or drunken driving.

[millie b]

Sharon are you naive, stupid, drunk or all of the above??

[Bill]

I love it! The Fox network broadcasts with a holier-than-though attitude and this is further proof they are hypocrites. I laugh at the strong right-wingers who are actually gross perverts - the very same people they preach against.

[Jim]

Give him a box and have security escort him off Channel 13's premises!

[stevie tamayo]

its a joke that cops run stings there... the place solely exists for that purpose

[Dave]

Why should he lose his job? The man's private sexual issues are no business of mine, and it doesn't sound like he was hurting anyone.

Another example of the police declaring war on American citizens for quietly living their own lives.

[ron]

To all you idiots who think the police should be concentrating on 'real crimes',
There are laws on the books about maintaining the public morals. Police officers have to address this type of complaint because it is ILLEGAL. It is not because they like harrassing people as they live their own lives.
Laws against sodomy and other similar laws have been taken off the books by politicians who have felt pressure from the public. If you dont like the laws let your local politicians know so they can do something about it. Dont get upset with the police for doing their job.
And be careful what you wish for because you might not be happy with the results you get.

[JJ]

Not a crime? Exposing yourself and masturbating in front of other people IS a crime. What, would you rather wait until he does this in front of children at a bus stop before any action is taken? Or how about in a local grocery store?

[unknown]

He'll be out of job, just like he's fired people from his staff that have had personal issues he didn't agree with. I guess what comes around, goes around. Too bad for his wife and children.

[Steven Tamayo]

JJ you are comparing masturbating in an porno theatre (that has tissue dispensers on the walls) to masturbating at a bus stop? what is wrong with you?

[Lewis]

Talk about getting caught 'redhanded'!
Let's see; How can I blow a six-figure income, my marriage, and professional reputation in one fell swoop?
I know! I'll find the seediest, creepiest, beneath-my-means Tampa Iniquity Den and engage in group-primate-style behavior in front of a couple of undercover cops!
I always wondered what shrewd marketing strategy Bobby was pondering when he would grace me with an obligatory grimace when we would cross paths in the Fox13 tunnels.
Now I know.

[unknown]

Lewis - I couldn't agree more with your comment. I, unfortunately, was around to see several people loose their jobs and have their professional careers and personal lives ruined because this guy didn't agree with "personal" issues in their lives. 95% were guilty before being proven innocent. Unfortunetly, for little party boy Bob (he did love to entertain his staff and watch them drive drunk - himself included) it's hard to turn this act into any act of innocence. When you're caught bare handed (no punn intended) in front of a cop(s) it's sort of hard to prove your innocence. Bottom line is the staff will never have to see that wandering eye look he was so know for giving to everyone. Looks like the old news director got out of there just in time. The new guy is certainly going to have his hands full fielding this mess. To Bob, let us know how it feels to say farewell to your job, your career and everything else you're about to loose. I've seen some of your past employees live through hel* over what you've done to lives. I'm sure they're sitting back having the last laugh now.

Was the arrest supposed to be part of the fantasy at Fantasy Land?

[Tim]

I still think that it's funny that someone gets arrested for "lewd and lascivious behavior, and exposure of a sexual organ" inside an Adult movie theater.. I guess what gets me is that it is considered a "public place", so I guess they shouldn't be showing any pr0n there either ^_^

[Sully]

There is no debating that this is an illegal activity, but what should one expect at an adult theater? Surely, no one goes there for cultural enlightenment. There is a huge difference between lewd behavior at an adult business versus the grocery store or bus stop. I for one am happy these sexually twisted individuals frequent the Fantasy Land for their release. When they are inside the Fantasy Land, they are away from me, off the street and not bothering 99.99% of the population. The real crime committed by Robert Linger is that abomination of a morning show on WTVT.

[Chris]

This is what Fox 13 calls a real "ratings grabber".

[ned]

awww... come on, chris... stealing one-liners from 'shop talk?'

[Giovanni]

For crying out loud! What do you people propose is the purpose of an Adult Theatre that is showing porn and with tissue dispensors on the walls? If this is morally wrong then why does the city of tampa offer business licenses to these types of businesses? I can understand if it were sex for pay a.k.a. prostitution but it wasn't. And for the tax payers to pay for a sting such as this is absolutely deplorable. In order for these charges to make sense it would have to be in a situation where others could have seen and been offended. Now, if you are in an adult theatre showing porn in a public place, I hardly doubt that a group of grown men 'grown ' being the opperative word here and consenting I might add could be offended. And how could the officers be offended, they were on their knees in the middle of the circle. If this is such a crime all of the licenses for this type of business should be revoked and do you know what would happen, then this behavior would be more in the public. These guys were not bothering anyone.