Anonymous wrote:In Virginia, it is illegal to (1) expose yourself (2) in an indecent act (3) in a public place (all three elements needed for "public indecency." If your shades are open and you can be seen from the street (e.g., if the cops can see you when they walk by), that is public place. Also repeatedly exposing yourself (i.e., Flashing!) is considered an indecent act, especially in view of minors.
Your neighbors don't want to be charged with public indecency since that may require them to register as sex crime offenders, limiting their ability to work/travel, lose custody of their kids, etc. Just tell you neighbors, and they should take appropriate actions.
Regarding peeping tom laws in Virginia, it requires a trespassing (e.g., going onto someones home without their permission) or making a peep hole in a public place (a changing room, locker, bathroom, etc.). There is no trespass if you can see things from a public sidewalk.
I'm a lawyer. If they are in their house, they are not in a public place. A house has a reasonable expectation of privacy.
If anyone at my house were arrested for this, I would file civil rights claims against the police and I would litigate it to the bitter end.
If you were the neighbor who called the police about it, and you did it more than once, I would get a restraining order against you.