ORMOND BEACH, Fla. -- An undercover sex sting took police directly into the action. Three men were arrested in the sex sting, including a 74-year-old. Riverbend Park on Airport Road in Ormond Beach is supposed to be a place where families could gather, but what was going on at the park would chase most families away.

---

MUG SHOTS: 3 Men Arrested At Ormond Beach Park

---

Those trolling for sex are finding their thrills along narrow pathways away from the park's entrance. For police, that's a real safety concern for legitimate park visitors.

The densely-wooded Riverbend Park is frequented mostly by nearby workers on their lunch break or families there for some leisure time close to nature, but it's the combination of secluded pathways and heavy tree cover that police said also attracts a kind of visitor with anonymous sex on his mind.

"These folks don't seem to really take a lot of pains to hid what they're doing," said Sgt. Kenny Hayes, Ormond Beach Police Department. "The last thing someone bringing their family here wants to see is something like that going on."

After residents complained, Ormond Beach police with the help of Volusia Beach Patrol Officers set up a sting and it didn't take long for three men to fall into the trap. The three men were each arrested after allegedly engaging in illicit behavior in the presence of an undercover officer.

Michael Peason, 47, was charged with battery after he allegedly groped an undercover officer in his groin area.

Steven Bell, 39, was charged with lewd and lascivious behavior and exposure of sexual organs after he allegedly began touching himself in front of an undercover officer.

William Cole, 74, was also charged with lewd and lascivious behavior and exposure of sexual organs after he allegedly followed an undercover officer into the public bathroom and began touching himself.

Besides the charges, the men were also issued trespass warnings that subject them to arrest if they return to the park.

Ormond Beach police said they conduct regular foot patrols at the park. Security from the airport across the street helps out, too.

"The only thing we can do is aggressively patrol the park and do these type of operations," Hayes said.

Police expect Thursday's sting and the publicity will steer other potential offenders away from Riverbend Park until the heat's off, but police said they'll continue random operations there. City crews have also been to the park a number of times to clear out the brush by the entrance, helping patrol officers see in as they drive by.