Cops investigate lewd act on 18th

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/04/2012 (5162 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A rash of indecent acts have blanketed Brandon since the calendar flipped to 2012, leaving some women feeling insecure about walking city streets alone.

“I would never walk by myself at night,” said one woman, who was out walking on Saturday afternoon and didn’t want to be identified.

Since January, at least seven incidents of a man performing what police describe as an indecent act have occurred within the city limits. All of the cases describe a similar suspect — a white man in his 20s — exposing his genitals and performing an indecent act.

The latest incident reported by the Brandon Police Service occurred early Saturday morning, when a man approached a woman while she was walking on the 700-block of 18th Street and performed an indecent act.

Police searched the area, but couldn’t locate a suspect.

“It doesn’t make you feel very safe,” said the woman. “I’m sure (the police) are doing their best to find him, but it doesn’t change the fact that there is a sicko out there.”

The belief is the indecent acts are being performed by one man, rather than a group of individuals, said the woman.

That claim hasn’t been proven by police, but officers are certainly investigating it as one of the possibilities.

“The Brandon Police Service is looking into the possibility that these incidents are related,” a spokesman with BPS said.

“The general description of the suspects and type of indecent acts are similar in several of the incidents.”

Police are asking for the public’s assistance in the investigation, looking for tips that might lead to an arrest.

“It doesn’t feel very good knowing that he is still out there,” said the woman.

“And that there has been so much attention around the whole thing, but it hasn’t stopped …

“It makes you wonder if one of these days something worse will happen.”

» ctweed@brandonsun.com

Timeline of lewd acts

• Jan. 14 — Around 7:30 a.m., a young woman reported that while out walking a man jumped out from behind a bus shelter in the 700-block of 18th Street and tried to grab her, knocking her to the ground in the process. The man had his pants undone and was exposing his genitals while committing an indecent act.

• Feb. 1 — In the early evening, two girls, aged 11 and 12, reported a man following them in Shilo. When the girls turned around they reported to see the man stick his hand down his sweatpants and begin to moan.

• Feb. 3 — Around 9 p.m., a woman was grabbed by a man while walking in the 2300-block of Ottawa Avenue. The woman was approached from behind and grabbed by the man who had his genitals exposed.

• Feb. 22 — A 24-year-old Shilo man was arrested for the Feb. 3 incident and was set to appear in court on April 16 on charge of sexual assault.

• Feb. 26 — Two incidents occurred on Feb. 26.

First, around 3:30 a.m., a woman reported that she witnessed a man behind her performing an indecent act in the 1500-block of 26th Street. Then, around 4:30 a.m, a 20-year-old woman was walking in the 1000-block of 3rd Street when a man called to her and exposed his genitals and began committing an indecent act.

• March 30 — Around 11 p.m., a 25-year-old woman noticed a man was following her in the 500-block of McTavish Avenue. When the woman turned to look, a man was exposing his genitals and performing an indecent act.

• April 22 — Around 5 a.m., after being dropped off by a taxi on the 300-block of 2nd Street, a woman noticed a man standing across the street. The man crossed the street and exposed himself while committing an indecent act.

» Brandon Sun