Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Goateed Serial Subway Pervert Wanted For More Masturbating Incidents
By
Jen Chung
Published Oct 12, 2017
Modified Oct 12, 2017
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Oct 12, 2017
Modified Oct 12, 2017
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A man arrested earlier this year for exposing himself in a subway station and masturbating aboard a train is now suspected in two recent incidents.
Police say that a 27-year-old woman saw the man masturbating on a northbound subway platform at the Herald Square B/D/F/M station around 6:28 p.m. on October 2nd.
The next day, around 9:43 a.m., the man sat across a 23-year-old woman on a northbound E train at Lexington Avenue/53 Street station. According to police, he "masturbated as he stared at her" and "also took pictures of her with his cell phone." The woman left the train.
The suspect, Robert Mannis, 61, is described as being 5'3" and 200 pounds with a black goatee. He was last seen wearing a black winter cap, a blue polo shirt, dark colored pants and carrying a black backpack.
The Daily News reports, "Mannis has been in and out of state prison six times on attempted burglary and robbery charges since 1974, and was most recently released in 2012."
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. All calls are strictly confidential.
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
e train
herald square
robert mannis
subway
subway pervert
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Hochul names NY AG James as special prosecutor on alleged rape case at Cornell University
The governor said she does not have faith that the police and the Tompkins County DA effectively investigated the case.
By
Jon Campbell
Published Oct 1, 2026 at 9:04 p.m. ET
Founder of NYC LGBTQ therapy practice charged with rape after alleged sexual assaults
Joseph LoGiudice is the second therapist at Liberation Psychotherapy to be accused of sexually abusing a patient.
By
Giulia Heyward
News
Founder of NYC LGBTQ therapy practice charged with rape after alleged sexual assaults
Joseph LoGiudice is the second therapist at Liberation Psychotherapy to be accused of sexually abusing a patient.
By
Giulia Heyward
US judge in NY indefinitely blocks ICE from making arrests at immigration courthouses
By
Arya Sundaram
Lawyer challenging NYC rent freeze releases Mamdani officials’ emails and text messages
By
David Brand
Push to strengthen NY sexual assault laws gathers steam after Cornell rape allegations
By
Walter Wuthmann
and
Jon Campbell
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .