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3 Train Rider: This Creep Took Photos Down My Shirt
By
Jen Chung
Published Apr 6, 2016
Modified Apr 6, 2016
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By
Jen Chung
Published Apr 6, 2016
Modified Apr 6, 2016
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The police are looking for a man accused of unlawful surveillance—as in taking photographs of a female subway rider. And the victim says that he was taking photos of her chest.
The incident occurred last Friday, on an uptown 3 train, between 34th and 42nd Streets around 10:20 p.m.: The NYPD says that the suspect "took pictures of a seated 23-year-old female victim as he stood over her."
The victim took photographs of the suspect—who appears to be reading the Wall Street Journal's opinion page—and shared them with the police. She told us, "I saw him, sitting right next to me, his cellphone taking pictures at my chest level, but I tried to brush it off as just a weird angle he was playing Candy Crush."
Luckily, another straphanger spoke up. "The woman across the aisle let me know that he was taking photos down my shirt," she said. She recalled that she said, "Hey, would you mind deleting the photos you took of me?" but he didn't respond and turned away, so she repeated it, "I said it louder. I might have also said 'Please.'"
She added, "When I confronted him, no one paid any attention, and no one stopped him or said anything when he got up, went to the other side of the train, and then got off."
After the shock of the encounter, she reported the incident via the MTA's online form to report subway sexual misconduct. "The police were incredible - very responsive and informative, and make me feel way less anxious about the whole situation," she said.
The experience has made her "more aware" of riding the subway, "if only because I’m secretly hoping that I'l see the creep again and Ill be able to confront him with the conversation I've been practicing in my shower for the past week."
Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.
If you see or experience sexual misconduct in the subway (this includes seeing a masturbator, being groped, being grinded on, etc.), you can report it to the MTA and police on this website. There's also a place for you to upload photos and/or video. Don't let the perverts win.
Tagged
3 train
subway
subway pervert
unlawful surveillance
original
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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