TELEVISION - July 30, 1991

Pee-wee’s Statement: In a statement issued late Monday afternoon, “Pee-wee’s Playhouse” star Paul Reubens said his arrest in Sarasota, Fla., was part of a sting operation and “the facts as stated by the vice squad were totally untrue.” The statement claimed he never exposed himself or engaged in any other improper activities. Reubens “is emotionally devastated by the embarrassment of the situation and is currently in seclusion.” Reubens faces arraignment Aug. 9 on a charge of indecent exposure in an adult movie theater. In 1983, Reubens was charged with loitering and prowling near an adult theater in Sarasota, but the misdemeanors were dropped later by prosecutors.