Accused of pleasuring himself while walking around a Target store, an Iowa man told cops that he was “not masturbating his actual penis,” but rather “a dildo he had in his shorts.”

Despite that convincing explanation, Deshawn Brown, 25, was busted for indecent exposure, according to a criminal complaint.

Seen at right, Brown, who lives a few blocks from the Target in downtown Iowa City, was caught on camera earlier this month “touching his clothed genitalia as well as his exposed penis.”

The defendant, investigators stated, “has prior incidents of the same behavior.” In July, Brown was sentenced to two years probation for indecent exposure and placed on Iowa’s sex offender registry. 

When questioned by police about his Target stroll, Brown reportedly claimed to actually have been engaged with a stashed sex toy. However, cops noted, video evidence “suggests the phallic object in his hand was indeed connected to his person.”

Charged with several misdemeanor indecent exposure counts, Brown was released from custody last night after posting $3000 bond. He is also facing a probation violation count related to his sentencing earlier this year.