Naked Portland airport protester found not guilty of indecent exposure

Getting naked: it's your constitutional right!

At least that's the conclusion of Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge David Rees, who this week found John Brennan not guilty of indecent exposure at the Portland International Airport.

The Portland, Oregon resident was headed through airport security on April 17, and after refusing to enter a body scanner, the 50-year-old consented to a pat-down.

However, when a security screener found the presence of nitrates on Brennan, he became frustrated by the lenghty process—and subtle implication that he might be a terrorist. In protest—and to show security he was definitely not carrying explosives—Brennan proceeded to disrobe in the middle of the airport.

“I was aware of the irony of removing my clothes to protect my privacy,” Brennan told the court on July 18.

While the district attorney argued that Brennan's actions constituted indecent exposure, Judge Rees agreed that Brennan's actions were a legal form of protest, protected by the Constitution, and sent him on his merry way.

Sadly, the TSA is continuing to investigate as to whether Brennan disrupted the screening process. If found guilty, he faces a fine of up to $11,000 and may be put on the no-fly list.

Follow nudity aficionado Miranda Nelson on Twitter at @charenton_.