By Jamal Thalji, Times Staff Writer
Posted: Jan 25, 2010 03:47 PM

ST. PETERSBURG — A 39-year-old registered sex offender is back behind bars after his arrest Saturday on allegations that he harassed and inappropriately touched women while prowling the aisles at a Wal-Mart Supercenter.

Hugh William Thompson, of 2500 54th Ave. N was arrested on charges of felony battery, loitering and prowling, and violating his probation on a previous charge of lewd and lascivious assault.

According to a St. Petersburg police report, Thompson was "wandering" the aisles of the Wal-Mart at 3501 34th St. S, about 2:23 p.m.

Thompson didn't appear to be shopping, police said, but instead spent 30 minutes in the store approaching and walking past young women, including teenagers.

As he did so, Thompson was "continuously zipping and unzipping his pants," while passing by young females, the report said. He appeared to wait for them to turn around while his pants were unzipped, police said, but none of them did so.

He would also "brush" past the women with his pants unzipped, according to the report.

And Thompson is accused of inappropriately touching a 16-year-old girl as he walked past her, police said.

These incidents were seen by Wal-Mart's loss prevention officers and captured on closed-circuit television, the report said.

Wal-Mart employees said they recognized Thompson from previous incidents, police said. The teen victim in the battery case told police she wanted to press charges. Thompson was stopped when he tried to leave the store.

According to records, he has spent time in Florida prisons for charges of sexual battery, lewd and lascivious assault, grand theft and aggravated assault with a weapon. Records show he was released from prison in 2002 to serve seven years on probation.

He was being held without bail Monday in the Pinellas County jail.