A 20-year-old man was charged on Thursday with public lewdness after exposing himself, and is a suspect in several groping incidents throughout Williamsburg, police said.
The man, Joshua Griffith, is accused of exposing himself to a 39-year-old woman near the corner of Frost and Humboldt streets on Thursday morning. He then allegedly started shaking his private parts around, police said.
Griffith, from Brownsville, is also a suspect in several reported gropings throughout the area, police said.
In the first incident, a 29-year-old woman was walking on Jackson Street, between Humboldt Street and Graham Avenue, at about 8:15 a.m. on May 20 when a man groped her butt. A second, 33-year-old woman was groped on her butt two days later on Skillman Avenue, near Graham Avenue, at about 7:50 a.m.
And a 36-year-old woman was groped on May 27 at about 7:30 a.m. while walking her dog on Jackson and Humboldt streets.
Police are looking for additional victims. Griffith has not yet been charged with the groping incidents.
Williamsburg resident Paula Victoria, 24, said New Yorkers are often expected to be aware of their surroundings. Victoria lives near where Griffith allegedly attacked.
“I don’t think it’s a regular thing, but I’m not surprised,” she said Thursday. “Since this is such a growing area, and so many new people are coming, this kind of thing is bound the happen.”
Olivia Burgess, 22, just moved to the neighborhood. The dancer said it was “disconcerting” that the attacks took place early in the day.
“Even though I’m new to it, I feel like people here are looking out for you,” she said. “And so having something like that happen in broad daylight is troubling.”
