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By BONNA de la CRUZ
Staff Writer

State Rep. Keith Westmoreland, R-Kingsport, was arrested last week in Florida on seven felony counts of lewd and lascivious exhibition to minors under 16 and is free on $3,500 bond, Walton County, Fla., Sheriff Ralph Johnson said yesterday.

Westmoreland, 55, a former chief deputy for the Sullivan County Sheriff's Department, has served in the state legislature since 1993.

The incidents took place four different times during the evenings of June 12, 13 and 14 in the swimming pool and hot tub area of a hotel at Miramar Beach in Sandestin, Fla., according to the arrest report filed Friday.

The lawmaker was charged with seven counts of exposing himself to victims under 16, the report said.

Johnson did not say how many victims were involved but said at least one was a female under age 16.

One victim told deputies, ''I wasn't sure at first, but as it happened time and time again, it was obvious something was going on,'' Johnson said.

Westmoreland spent Friday night in the county jail in DeFuniak Springs, Fla., before posting bond Saturday, Johnson said. He is free to leave Florida while out on bail, Johnson said.

A 9 a.m. court date July 16 has been scheduled, the arrest report said.

Westmoreland could not be reached for comment last night. A telephone message left at his home did not receive a response.

State Rep. Beth Harwell, R-Nashville, who also serves as Tennessee Republican Party chairwoman, said she did not know details of the incident but spoke on behalf of her colleague.

''Keith has been a good legislator,'' she said.

''If he has done anything wrong, then he will certainly want to abide by the law, and if there are consequences, he'll certainly want to pay those consequences.''

Westmoreland's name was listed on the arrest report as Barry Keith Westmoreland. His place of employment was listed as ''State of Tennessee, congressman/representative.''

Johnson said Westmoreland did not get special treatment for being a lawmaker from a nearby state.

''The sergeant called me that night and told me the situation and that he had identified himself as such,'' Johnson said. ''I told him to treat it like any normal case.''

Westmoreland is unopposed in both the Republican primary and the general election later this year.

Westmoreland is a business consultant who serves on the House Judiciary Committee, helping to make laws in Tennessee.

He was county executive for Sullivan County from 1986 to 1990 and chief deputy for the Sullivan County Sheriff's Department for a decade before that.

He was a law enforcement instructor at Walters State Community College in 1976-78 and served in the U.S. Air Force 1964-68.

Westmoreland, who has two grown children, has a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from East Tennessee State University, where he graduated cum laude.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.