By EDIE HALL

The Hutchinson News

NESS CITY -- The Ness City man charged in a case in which his girlfriend spent nearly two years in their bathroom and eventually became stuck to the toilet was arrested during the weekend.

This time, it was for lewd and lascivious behavior.

Kory McFarren was arrested Sunday after allegedly exposing himself to a minor. He spent the night in jail before being bonded out, said Ness County Sheriff Bryan Whipple.

McFarren could not be reached for comment, and no charges had been filed against him as of Wednesday, according to the Ness County District Court.

Whipple was uncertain whether McFarren had a criminal record.

Whipple declined to comment on the circumstances leading up to the arrest, but the neighbor who filed the complaint said she called police after McFarren exposed himself to her teenage daughter and some friends.

The girls were using the family's hot tub when the incident occurred.

"This has been going on for a long period of time," the neighbor said. "While we were using our pool or hot tub, he would stand in his window and watch and play with himself. It has become much worse lately."

The woman said she had called police a few times before, and her family even had built up a pile of firewood to obstruct McFarren's view of the pool area.

As winter wore on, the wood pile shrank.

On Sunday, the family called the police, who caught McFarren exposing himself and arrested him, the neighbor said.

She was frustrated McFarren was back at home by Monday.

"I have a daughter who is home after school," she said. "We don't know what is going to happen."

The woman said her children long have had after-school instructions to come inside, lock the doors and call the police if McFarren comes on their property.

"It has just escalated," she said. "We are very upset."

Ness County made national headlines earlier this month after McFarren called the sheriff's office saying something was wrong with his girlfriend, Pam Babcock. When police arrived, they found the 35-year-old woman sitting on the toilet.

McFarren told police Babcock, originally from Utica, had not left the restroom for about two years. Police believe she had been sitting on the toilet, to which she physically was stuck, for about a month. Medical personnel had to remove the woman from the toilet seat at the hospital.

McFarren, 36, said Babcock had refused to come out of the bathroom, and he had been sustaining her by bringing her food and water. Whipple has said he believed McFarren did not call for help earlier because he didn't realize the seriousness of the woman's situation.

Babcock, who initially refused medical attention and did not want to be removed from the bathroom, now is at a Wichita hospital.

Last week, Ness County Attorney Craig Crosswhite charged McFarren with mistreatment of a dependent adult in Ness County District Court. His first appearance on the misdemeanor charge is set for April 7.

Babcock still in Wichita hospital

According to the Associated Press, Babcock remains hospitalized and in pain from medical procedures, family members said Wednesday.

Pat Bollinger, the woman's aunt, said she has been designated the family spokeswoman and is the only family member allowed to call Babcock at the hospital. She calls daily to ask how Babcock is doing and is told only now that she is the same. She asks every day to talk to her, but Babcock only has agreed to talk to her one time for about 10 minutes.

During that one call, Babcock spoke little and mostly listened as Bollinger recounted happy family memories -- time spent swimming, camping and boating -- from the year Babcock lived with them in Arizona when she was in fifth grade.

Babcock has not spoken about her bathroom ordeal, she said.

"I didn't bring up anything," Bollinger said. "I just let her know how much I loved her and cared for her."

Bollinger sent her niece flowers and a willow tree angel to watch over her at the hospital. She also now is making a scrapbook for Babcock with pictures of her as a child.

"She is in a lot of pain, and she is going to have to go through a lot to even try to have a normal life again," said Carmen McNamara, Babcock's cousin. "She is having all kinds of procedures. Right now, she is in the safest place she has been in 15 years."

No family members have been allowed to see her at the hospital, she said. Bollinger must use a password just to talk to her by phone at the hospital, McNamara said, adding family members know few details about her medical condition. Babcock spends much of her time sleeping at the hospital's intensive care unit.

McFarren has said doctors told him Babcock suffered nerve damage and is unable to walk, a description of her condition McNamara said appeared accurate given the little medical information the family has gotten.

"Her wounds are still serious. ... She is not out of the woods by any means. She is a very sick girl," Bollinger said

Via Christi hospital officials refused Wednesday to give an update on the woman's condition.