Charles Hersel Thousand Oaks resident Charles William Hersel, 39, has been arrested on a charge of misdemeanor child annoyance for allegedly paying a Westlake High School student $31 to spit in his face.

Hersel was arrested at 7 p.m. Wed., Nov. 18 in a sting operation at The Promenade in Thousand Oaks after undercover officers showed up to meet with him. As they arrived, they came upon Hersel paying the teenager, said Detective Eric Buschow.

There are 15 reported victims, all teenage boys from Westlake High School.

Students claimed Hersel paid them to yell profanities, spit and slap him in the face. Several also claimed he offered them cash to urinate and defecate on him, but none of the students did that, Buschow said.

“One teen said he was paid $600,” Buschow said.

Hersel also paid a boy to let him put his shoe in his mouth and asked him to wear flip-flops the next time, the detective reported.

Buschow said, “Child annoyance is a sex crime,” and someone convicted of it would be required to register as a sex offender.

Authorities said Hersel contacted some teens through the MySpace social networking site.

“The word traveled fast, and he got a lot of customers,” Buschow said.

Hersel couldn’t be reached for comment as he had no listed phone number in Thousand Oaks.

He’s been released from jail on his promise to appear in court. His court date is set for Dec. 22 at the Simi Valley Courthouse.

Anyone with additional information is asked to contact Detective Anthony Aguirre at (805) 371-8309.

Police are continuing the investigation.

—Nancy Needham