US Secret Service agent placed on leave for allegedly fondling himself in public
TL;DR
A US Secret Service officer, John Andrew Spillman, has been placed on administrative leave after being arrested for allegedly exposing and fondling himself in a Miami hotel. Spillman was found naked in a public area of the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel after attending a PGA event earlier that day.
Key points
- US Secret Service officer placed on administrative leave
- John Andrew Spillman arrested in Miami hotel
- Allegedly exposed and fondled himself in public
- Involved in security detail for PGA event
- Incident reported by a concerned hotel guest
Mentioned in this story
A US Secret Service officer has been placed on administrative leave after being arrested for allegedly exposing and fondling himself in a public area of a Miami hotel.
Local sheriff’s office deputies say they arrested John Andrew Spillman, 33, on Sunday after he was found naked while off duty on the sixth floor of the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel Miami airport & convention center, according to a sworn law enforcement statement reviewed by the Guardian.
The Secret Service’s best-known responsibility is protecting the US president. And earlier that day, Spillman had been part of an external screening security detail at the 2025 PGA Cadillac Championship, which Donald Trump attended.
According to the police statement outlining the circumstances of his arrest at the hotel, Miami-Dade county sheriff’s office deputies found Spillman “masturbating at the end of the hallway”. A woman allegedly came out of a nearby room after Spillman’s arrest and told police he had followed her from the hotel lobby to the sixth floor.
The woman said she and other guests “immediately entered their room because she was in fear of their lives”, the police statement recounted. The statement added that the woman purportedly saw Spillman “masturbating next to [the] hotel room”.
Hotel security told police they had also seen Spillman allegedly engaging in the same behavior on the floor.
In a statement to the Guardian, Richard Macauley, Secret Service uniformed division chief, said he was aware of Spillman’s arrest, saying “the alleged conduct is unacceptable and stands in stark contrast to the professionalism and integrity that I demand of our personnel”.
Macauley added: “This agency takes these matters with the utmost seriousness; consequently, the individual has been placed on administrative leave pending the results of this criminal matter and a complete and thorough internal investigation.”
Spillman was held in lieu of $1,000 bail at the Turner Guilford Knight correctional center.
By Tuesday, he had posted a bond and was expected to be released, the local news outlet WSVN reported.
Spillman’s arrest occurred a little more than a week after Secret Service officers jailed 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen for allegedly shooting an agent while attempting to storm into the White House correspondents’ dinner in Washington DC, at which Trump was present.
Q&A
What charges does John Andrew Spillman face for his actions in Miami?
John Andrew Spillman faces charges related to public indecency after allegedly exposing and fondling himself in a hotel.
What was Spillman's role before his arrest at the hotel?
Before his arrest, Spillman was part of an external security detail for the PGA Cadillac Championship attended by Donald Trump.
What happened during the incident involving Spillman at the hotel?
Spillman was found naked and allegedly masturbating in a hotel hallway, leading to his arrest by Miami-Dade county sheriff’s office deputies.
