Middletown Police say the same unidentified man was behind two separate indecent exposure incidents on Middletown Warwick Road weeks apart — first at a Target on October 7, then at a Wawa on October 26 — with the second case also involving what officers described as inappropriate contact with the victim.
According to NBC10 Philadelphia, police responded to the first incident at the Target on October 7 after receiving a report that a man had exposed himself and was masturbating inside the store. He was taken into custody and arraigned on two counts of lewdness and one count of second-degree indecent exposure. Police released him to pretrial supervision following that arraignment.
A Second Incident, Weeks Later
Nearly three weeks after the Target report, officers responded to a similar complaint at a Wawa on the same Warwick Road corridor on October 26. The station's report states that officers arriving at the scene found the same individual connected to the earlier Target case.
This time, police said the man allegedly exposed himself while masturbating and also engaged in inappropriate contact with the victim. Based on that account, Middletown Police charged him with third-degree unlawful sexual contact, second-degree indecent exposure, and lewdness, per the same report.
What the Charges Mean Under Delaware Law
Under Delaware Code, a person commits third-degree unlawful sexual contact when they have sexual contact with another person, or cause the victim to have sexual contact with them or a third person, while knowing the contact is offensive to the victim or occurs without consent. The statute classifies the offense as a class A misdemeanor, according to Delaware Code Online.
Following the Wawa arrest, the man was committed to Howard R. Young Correctional Institution after he failed to post a $2,000 cash bond, the NBC10 Philadelphia report states. Middletown Police have not publicly identified him in connection with either incident.
Police Seeking Additional Witnesses
Middletown Police are asking anyone who witnessed similar behavior, or who experienced a similar incident involving the same man, to come forward. Investigators asked that tips be directed to Detective Wormer at 302-376-9950 or by emailing [email protected].
