Police are searching for a man who, according to investigators, engaged in lewd behavior while seated next to an 11-year-old girl on an MTA B62 bus in Brooklyn Heights on Monday morning. The NYPD says the incident happened around 8:18 a.m. near Livingston and Smith streets. The man got off the bus and fled after the alleged act, and no physical injuries were reported.
Police Release Suspect Description And Ask Riders For Help
As reported by News 12 Brooklyn, investigators described the suspect as a roughly 30-year-old man with a heavy build, brown eyes and short black dreadlocks worn in braids. He was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and a black baseball hat, police said.
Alleged Incident On Busy Downtown Edge
The incident was reported aboard a B62 bus at or near the Smith St/Livingston St stop, a block that sits at the edge of the Downtown Brooklyn transit hub. MTA schedule and stop listings confirm Smith St/Livingston St as a B62 stop, which places the reported scene in the heart of Brooklyn Heights, per the MTA.
How To Share Tips With Investigators
Anyone with information is asked to contact NYPD Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS or, for Spanish speakers, 1-888-57-PISTA, according to the NYPD's online guidance. Tips may be submitted anonymously through the Crime Stoppers program and can be crucial to identifying suspects.
What The Law Says About Public Lewdness
Under New York law, public lewdness is a class B misdemeanor. The statute defines the offense as intentionally exposing intimate parts or committing a lewd act in a public place, as laid out in NY Penal Law §245.00. If investigators find evidence of sexual contact with a child, prosecutors could pursue more serious sex-offense charges under Article 130 of the penal code, which includes offenses such as sexual abuse and forcible touching.
Parents On Edge Over Transit Safety
Riders and parents say incidents like this underscore worries about safety on buses and trains in Brooklyn, especially during morning commutes when children travel. Local reporting earlier this year showed the NYPD seeking help after a similar lewd act aboard a different Brooklyn bus, illustrating a cluster of recent transit complaints. Patch covered that case.
