A man who was performing street magic along a Clearwater Beach sidewalk on Sunday was arrested for felony battery after he tried to pull a teenage girl's bikini bottoms off, according to police.

  • Richard Cook, 51, charged with felony battery
  • Cook was performing street magic when he asked for volunteer
  • Accused of trying to pull teen's bikini bottoms off

"It’s disrespectful and disgusting," said beachgoer Daylynn Hughes, 19. "It’s good that they have him."

Richard Cook, 51, was doing a magic trick where he made a red scarf disappear from his hand at 8:02 p.m. near the roundabout by Pier 60 and asked for a volunteer, according to the arrest report.

Police said a 16-year-old girl stepped forward and Cook told her to keep both hands out front. Cook then reached down and pulled the left side of her bottoms and the teen had to immediately grab her bikini to keep from being exposed, according to police.

The girl told Cook she did not feel comfortable and to stop. Cook replied, "you will feel comfortable" and did it again, according to the report. The teen ran off and flagged down the first Clearwater Police officer she saw who arrested Cook for felony battery.

David Cavaluuzi offers palm fronds in the shape of flowers to tourists for tips at Pier 60 and said Cook is giving the legitimate street performers a bad name.

"There’s a lot of young people, young ladies around here. We just don’t play that game here," he said. "We do not tolerate that type of behavior."   

The coordinator for the Sunset at Pier 60 daily festival said all their performers undergo background checks and their acts must be cleared as family-friendly. Cook was not part of that group.

Police said Cook was convicted of felony battery in 1995 and is being held in the Pinellas Jail on a $2,500 bond.