On Wednesday, January 15, 2025, the Department of Campus Safety received multiple reports of fondlings that took place in Washington Square Park, in Manhattan.
The first incident occurred at 12:06 p.m. at the northeast exit of Washington Square Park, near the corner of Washington Square North and University Place. The victim, an NYU student, was approached by an unknown individual, who grabbed the victim's thigh and buttocks, then attempted to reach up into the victim's jacket, while whispering something sexual in nature to the victim. The victim pushed the suspect away, at which point, the suspect called the victim a slur and fled into the park. The student reported no physical injuries and was offered supportive resources. A report has been filed with the NYPD.
The second incident occurred at 2:15 p.m. in Washington Square Park, between the arch and the fountain. Two victims, both NYU students, were approached by the individual, who grabbed the first victim by the waist and made sexual comments. In response, the second victim told the individual not to touch people. The individual then patted the second victim's buttocks and stated, "I can touch anyone I want." The first victim then took a picture of the individual. The individual began to walk back towards the first victim, at which point the second victim pushed the individual and the individual touched the second victim's buttocks again. No injuries were reported. Both students were offered support services and declined to report the incident to the NYPD.
Below is a photo of the individual involved in the incidents.
If you have additional information about these incidents, please contact the NYPD at 1(800) 577-TIPS and NYU Campus Safety at (212) 998-2222.
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