A 17-year-old girl says she was groped on a Brooklyn-bound F train Thursday afternoon as the subway rolled toward the Smith–Ninth Streets station. According to police, an unidentified person allegedly grabbed the teen’s buttocks, then slipped out of the car before officers could track anyone down. NYPD Crime Stoppers has blasted out a wanted notice and is asking anyone who saw what happened to get in touch.
🚨WANTED FOR FORCIBLE TOUCHING: On Thursday, June 25, 2026, at approximately 12:40 PM, a 17-year-old female victim was on a Brooklyn bound “F” train approaching the Smith-9 Street subway station when an unidentified individual forcibly grabbed the female victim’s buttocks.
— NYPD Crime Stoppers (@NYPDTips) June 26, 2026
Police Want Public's Help
NYPD Crime Stoppers posted a “WANTED FOR FORCIBLE TOUCHING” alert on X that pins the incident to June 25 at about 12:40 p.m. and identifies the victim as 17 years old. The post urges anyone with information to DM @NYPDTips or call 1-800-577-TIPS and notes that tips leading to an arrest may qualify for a reward, according to NYPD Crime Stoppers' post.
What The Law Calls That
Under New York Penal Law § 130.52, “forcible touching” is defined as the intentional, non-consensual touching of another person’s sexual or other intimate parts for the purpose of sexual gratification or to degrade or abuse the victim. The statute specifically calls out squeezing, grabbing and pinching and treats the crime as a class A misdemeanor. The law also explicitly applies to conduct on buses, trains and subway cars, which gives prosecutors a straightforward way to charge cases that happen in transit, per New York Penal Law §130.52 on Justia.
Transit Context
In recent months, NYPD has repeatedly turned to public “wanted” blasts and reward offers after reports of groping and other sexual assaults on or near subway stations, a pattern that local outlets have been tracking. Coverage of those alerts, and the department’s frequent requests that witnesses hold onto unedited phone footage, highlights how much investigators now rely on rider tips and video to put names to faces, as reported in coverage of a subway creep hunted after teen groped.
How To Report A Tip
Anyone who saw what happened near Smith–Ninth Streets or who has unedited cellphone video is asked to contact Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-577-TIPS or messaging @NYPDTips on X. Non-emergency tips can also be sent through the NYPD’s online Crime Stoppers portal. Tipsters whose information leads to an arrest may be eligible for a reward of up to $3,500, according to the Crime Stoppers program.
Detectives with the NYPD Transit Bureau say the case is active and that canvassing and video review are underway. Riders who feel threatened are urged to call 911 in an emergency and to report suspicious behavior to MTA staff or transit police.
