Registered Sex Offender Known for “Butt-Sniffing” Arrested Again After Being Caught on Camera Following Woman Through Nordstrom Rack
There are some stories you read that make you shake your head in disbelief, wondering how someone can keep repeating the same disturbing behavior over and over again — and somehow still be back on the streets to do it again. The case of 38-year-old Calese Carron Crowder, a registered sex offender from California, is one of those stories that makes you feel a mix of frustration, concern, and disbelief at the system that keeps letting this cycle play out.
It happened on a Tuesday in Burbank, inside the busy Nordstrom Rack store at the Empire Center, a place where people usually go to browse for deals and enjoy a casual shopping trip. But for one woman, that trip turned into an uncomfortable and unsettling encounter she never asked for. Surveillance footage from inside the store captured Crowder trailing her through the aisles, moving uncomfortably close, and then crouching behind her in a way that made it impossible to ignore his intent. The footage reportedly showed him sniffing her buttocks — an act that’s as bizarre as it is deeply invasive.
He didn’t stop there. After lingering in the women’s section, Crowder left the store, but police were already on his trail. Using security camera footage, officers tracked him down to a nearby Walmart. And just as in Nordstrom Rack, witnesses there say he was exhibiting similar behavior, hovering in spaces where women shopped, seemingly looking for another opportunity.
When police moved in, they arrested him without incident. But the arrest was anything but routine — because Calese Carron Crowder is no stranger to law enforcement. In fact, he’s been on their radar for years. He is a registered sex offender with a long criminal history that includes burglary, robbery, indecent exposure, peeping, and prowling. Many in the public remember his name from 2023, when a video went viral on TikTok showing him allegedly sniffing women at a Barnes & Noble bookstore in Burbank. That video drew national attention and a wave of disgusted reactions, yet here we are, two years later, with him being arrested for what appears to be the exact same type of behavior.
According to police records, this isn’t just a matter of one or two bad decisions. Crowder has a documented history of incidents going back years. In 2021, he was arrested in Glendale for lewd conduct after reports of him lurking and behaving inappropriately in public areas. In 2023, before the viral bookstore video, he had also been caught peeping near a home in Glendale where children were present. Each time, his actions landed him in police custody, yet somehow he returned to the public with enough freedom to repeat them.
This time, he faces charges of loitering with the intent to commit a crime. While some might see that as a minor charge, the seriousness of the situation becomes clear when you remember his record — this is a man who is not only on parole but also registered as a sex offender. Despite those restrictions, despite the public record of his repeated offenses, he was able to walk into a store and approach an unsuspecting woman in a way that left her shaken.
The question many people are asking is simple: How? How is it possible that someone with a history like this can keep coming back into everyday spaces where women and children shop, read, or simply go about their lives? The frustration isn’t just about his actions but about a justice system that seems unable or unwilling to stop him from repeating them. For victims, the fear is that even this arrest might not be the last time his name makes the news.
Burbank police made it clear that they take these incidents seriously, pointing out that they were able to act quickly thanks to the store’s surveillance footage and the cooperation of witnesses. They also stressed that the public should feel empowered to report suspicious behavior right away, no matter how small it might seem at first. That’s what allowed officers to locate Crowder so quickly at the nearby Walmart before anything else could happen.
Still, the reality is unsettling. For women, knowing that someone like this has been repeatedly caught but continues to reappear in public spaces is a reminder that vigilance is often necessary even in everyday situations. It also raises questions about parole supervision, mental health intervention, and whether there are enough resources — or enough willingness — to address offenders who show a clear pattern of behavior that isn’t stopping with repeated arrests.
Right now, Crowder is being held on $100,000 bail. His next court appearance is scheduled for August 1, and it’s not yet clear whether this arrest will finally lead to a sentence that keeps him from repeating these actions in the near future. What is clear is that this incident is far from an isolated one in his record, and it’s likely to reignite debates over how the justice system handles repeat offenders, especially those with histories of sexual misconduct.
For the woman in Nordstrom Rack, for the witnesses at Walmart, and for everyone who has crossed paths with him in the past, this is more than just a headline — it’s a reminder that personal safety can be unexpectedly challenged even in the most routine places. And for the public, it’s a story that sparks frustration, caution, and a hope that this time, something will actually change.
Because as unsettling as this case is, it’s not just about one man’s disturbing actions — it’s about whether the system meant to protect the public can actually do so when it comes to people who have shown, over and over again, that they have no intention of stopping on their own. Until then, we’re left with the same uneasy feeling that stories like this always bring: that without real change, it’s only a matter of time before the same headline appears again, with a different date and maybe even a different victim.
