‘You are a real threat to society.’ Man known as ‘Sunday Bandit’ sentenced to prison for indecent exposure
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REXBURG — A man known by neighbors as the “Sunday Bandit” was sentenced to prison on Monday for felony indecent exposure.
Cody Polatis, 27, admitted to exposing himself to three little girls on July 12 last year at the Warm Slough boat area in Madison County.
RELATED: The ‘Sunday Bandit’ is in jail again. This time he’s charged with felony indecent exposure
Seventh District Judge Steven Boyce sentenced Polatis two and a half years fixed time in prison followed by an indeterminate term of four years. He is also required to register as a sex offender.
“You have demonstrated that you are a real threat to society and to this community,” Boyce told Polatis during the hearing. “The real concern I have, Mr. Polatis, is it does just seem to be a pattern of escalation here.”
The state recommended Polatis serve a rider with an underlying sentence of six years total in prison. Madison County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Mckinzie Cole argued that Polatis has had several opportunities for treatment and that he has not taken advantage of them.
“This case your honor is about three little girls. Those little girls have names. They have families,” Cole said. “They were innocent children who were playing outside thinking that they were safe until Mr. Polatis sought them out. He watched them, he waited until the adult that was with them briefly walked to her car to put some belongings away and then pounced on them. And when the adult wasn’t there, he walked up to these children and exposed himself.”
According to court documents, the girls were catching frogs in the river when Polatis approached them.
The state argued that Polatis has a lengthy criminal history that dates back to 2014 which includes trespassing, breaking into people’s homes, and exposing himself.
EastIdahoNews.com first began reporting on Polatis in 2016. Neighbors in his tightknit Salem community gave him the nickname of “Sunday Bandit” after he was caught several times breaking into homes while they were at church.
One neighbor set up a hidden camera in his daughter’s bedroom that caught Polatis masturbating and stealing the girl’s clothes. The neighbor believed Polatis had broken in at least seven times and stolen $1,300 worth of women’s clothing.
Other incidents involving Polatis include:
- 2014: A trespassing charge after Polatis was found in the Rexburg Kmart dressing room after hours with women’s clothing. He pleaded guilty and was ordered to undergo a psychosexual evaluation.
- 2016: An unlawful entry and probation violation charge after a teenage girl, home sick from church, found Polatis in her Salem home. On a voluntary admission form, he wrote, “I went in and intended to masturbate and leave. I did not intend on taking anything.”
- 2016: Polatis was arrested for indecent exposure after he admitted to masturbating and looking at pornography outside a Rexburg surgical center. Officers discovered women’s underwear in the vehicle, and workers said he had used their internet in the past.
- 2018: A woman returned from church and discovered Polatis’ car parked outside her Salem home. Her daughter’s bed was disheveled, and Polatis told her “his animals had recently died, and he came to her house to see her animals.” He is charged with misdemeanor unlawful entry and violating probation. Polatis was sentenced to serve time in jail.
- 2019: Polatis pleaded guilty to misdemeanor petty theft. He was ordered to serve up to a year in jail.
The father of one of the victims at the river spoke during the sentencing hearing.
“As someone who believes in God, I forgive him (Cody) but your honor, I just hope and plead that the sentence that is rendered is one that provides justice and one that will protect the community going forward and in that sentence, Mr. Polatis can get help,” the father said. “We need some justice. We need some sort of measure that this kind of thing won’t be tolerated.”
Trent Grant, Polatis’s attorney, listed different treatment options for Polatis and mentioned the psychosexual evaluation that was administered to his client before the sentencing. Those evaluations are not made public.
“This was an incident that occurred because Cody was feeling impulsive and it happened to be that the kids were there … That does not downplay what happened here. I am not trying to do that but the data, the psychosexual evaluation, indicates that Cody has no history of sexual interest in children or has no background in any behavior involving children,” Grant said. “Cody recognizes a need for treatment and a desire to put this behavior and this thought process behind him.”
Polatis apologized to the families and children involved.
“I realize this has been something that has affected them,” he said. “I do have a problem and I notice that and it needs to be worked on…I don’t want to continue this behavior. It’s bothered me to the fact that what I have done to these little girls and that’s something I get to live with the rest of my life, no matter what. Even though there was no touching or anything like that, it still has bothered me.”