A former Daytona Beach city commissioner and a candidate for mayor in last month's election was arrested Thursday and charged along with eight others with lewd and lascivious conduct.

Mike Shallow was defeated in last month's race by incumbent Glenn Ritchey.

Police said Shallow and the other men were in the Sears bathroom in the Volusia Mall Thursday engaging in sexual acts.

Police said the complaints began last week, and a sting operation was held all day Thursday. Daytona Beach Police Chief Michael Chitwood hopes this isn’t a trend.

“The bothering thing is, we're coming up on the Christmas season,” said Chitwood. “You're out there shopping in the mall and your kid wants to go to the bathroom, and you've got a bunch of sick, degenerate, vile perverts in there doing their thing."

David Behringer, a health teacher at Seabreeze High School, and two registered sex offenders were also taken into cusody.