On Friday morning CNN journalist Richard Quest was arrested in Central Park with methamphetamine in his pocket. Quest is best known for his work on CNN’s late-night international programming and his hour-long show Quest. Originally it was reported that Quest was arrested for being in the park after it was closed… and while that’s technically true, it turns out there’s a lot more to the story than that. According to the New York Post, there was a good deal of kink going on when Quest was arrested – he had a rope around his neck that was also tied to his genitals.

CNN personality Richard Quest was busted in Central Park early yesterday with some drugs in his pocket, a rope around his neck that was tied to his genitals, and a sex toy in his boot, law-enforcement sources said. Quest, 46, was arrested at around 3:40 a.m. after a cop spotted him and another man inside the park near 64th Street, a police source said.

The criminal complaint against Quest said the park was closed at the time - something Quest should have known because of all the signs saying “Park Closed 1 a.m. to 6 a.m.” Quest was initially busted for loitering, the source said. Aside from the oddly configured rope, the search also turned up a sex toy inside of his boot, and a small bag of methamphetamine in his left jacket pocket.

It wasn’t immediately clear what the rope was for.

[From the New York Post]

I’m sure we can all guess a few things that the rope might have been for. How many of us have enjoyed playing Cowboys and Indians in the park? The rope was obviously for some kind of lasso. Or perhaps to wrangle wayward cattle. While I personally have never encountered any member of the bovine family in Central Park, it’s a pretty big place and you never know what animals you’ll stumble upon. It sounds to me like Richard Quest was just following the Boy Scout motto of always being prepared. Last time I checked the Boy Scouts didn’t include any mention of sex toys and meth, but times are changing and I could just be out of the loop.

The other man that was with Quest was given a summons for not having any identification on him. Quest was not charged with lewdness because he wasn’t exposing himself. So for any of you out-of-towners, it’s good to know that it’s perfectly legal to tie ropes around your genitals in public. But not having your I.D. on you might get you in a bit of trouble.

Quest spent most of Friday behind bars while his lawyer negotiated with the district attorney. He agreed to six months of drug counseling, and in return will have the charge dismissed upon successful completion of the drug program. Really, not a bad deal for hording meth and sex toys, when you think about it. If Quest had been caught doing the same thing in a Tad’s Steakhouse, he would have been given applause and a free dinner.