SEATTLE — A repeat sex offender who identifies himself as “Master Baiter” has been arrested again for allegedly masturbating inside a Seattle grocery store.
According to charging documents, 46-year-old Keenan Charles Pearson continually commits sex acts in public despite multiple convictions for sex crimes.
The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office filed two new charges of felony indecent exposure against Pearson this month.
“The defendant is a prolific public masturbator, with three convictions for felony indecent exposure and one misdemeanor indecent exposure for similar conduct,” charging documents state. “The defendant has a demonstrated inability to follow court orders and appear in court. He is required to register as a sex offender, but is not in compliance with that obligation. Furthermore, the defendant has had warrant issue for his failure to appear on over 40 occasions and has two outstanding warrant at the time of this writing.”
Pearson’s most recent arrest happened at the Uwajimaya grocery store in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District on May 5. According to an arrest report, 911 callers reported a man was masturbating in front of customers, including children. A Seattle police officer responded and detained Pearson.
“When Sgt. Johnson asked him for his name, he identified himself as ‘Master Baiter,'” an arrest report states. “When Sgt. Johnson asked him what he was doing inside Uwajimaya, Keenan admitted to officers that he was ‘strokin’ inside the store. While speaking with officers, he was actively looking at women and saying that they should be in his ‘show.'”
Investigators discovered Pearson is a non-compliant sex offender who was recently sentenced for a previous indecent exposure charge in March. In his prior case, he was arrested for masturbating inside a Burien Safeway and told deputies he was watching women in yoga pants inside the store in March 2024.
After that case, Pearson spent 325 days in the King County jail until he was released in April 2025.
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In a plea recommendation, a public defender said Pearson is homeless, uses drugs and has mental health issues.
“Mr. Pearson wants to work hard to avoid being in his present position again, and to avoid causing alarm to other people in the community,” a defense memo in the 2024 case stated.
Prosecutors and the defense agreed the time he served in jail on the case was a sufficient sentence and he was released on April 11, according to court records.
The public defender noted in the report that Pearson planned to stay at a homeless shelter in Pioneer Square when he was released.
Court records show Pearson has six prior convictions for indecent exposure, voyeurism and indecent liberties. He is also the subject of a sexual assault protection order.
A report prepared by the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office says Pearson has been involved in 24 criminal cases in Washington and Missouri.
A judge granted the prosecutor’s request for a $150,000 bail, and Pearson remains in the King County jail.
Pearson is scheduled for an arraignment hearing on May 22.
