Key West liveaboard arrested after indecent exposure complaint in Boca Chica Bay

A 60-year-old Key West liveaboard landed in the Monroe County Jail after deputies said he exposed himself to neighboring boaters in Boca Chica Bay, turning a waterfront dispute into an indecent exposure case.

Donald Brian Satchell was arrested Thursday, April 23, on an indecent exposure charge after deputies served a warrant tied to a complaint filed April 13. Investigators said two women met law enforcement at the Key Haven Boat Ramp around 3:49 p.m. to report what they described as an ongoing issue involving Satchell and a nearby vessel.

The women told deputies they were on their boat when Satchell, who was aboard another vessel nearby, suddenly pulled down his pants, exposed himself and shouted crude language in their direction. They also told investigators there had been previous problems with him, though they were not sure what triggered the confrontation that day.

What began as a complaint among boaters ended with a warrant and a jail booking once deputies located Satchell. The case put a familiar stretch of water under a harsher spotlight, with Boca Chica Bay, Stock Island and the Key Haven Boat Ramp all part of the same daily route for liveaboards, residents and other boaters moving through the area.

For waterfront neighbors, the arrest underscored how quickly behavior at anchor can move from annoyance to criminal enforcement when witnesses come forward and deputies document the conduct. In a part of Monroe County where boats sit close together and disputes can play out in plain view, the case showed that repeated complaints and public indecency can carry consequences well beyond the dock.