Rash of indecent exposures occur on IU campus

Several episodes of indecent exposure incidents have afflicted the IU campus lately. At least six people have made reports to the IU Police Department since late June of having been the victim of a "flasher."\nIUPD Detective Greg McClure said he believes four of the six incidents were committed by the same man. \n"According to the victims, the suspect is reported as white male, 25 to 30 (years old), 140 pounds, brown hair, medium-length ponytail, glasses with round lenses, 5-feet-10-inches, pale complexion," McClure said.\nThe first offense involving the unidentified man took place around 5 p.m. on June 20 when a woman walking on Fee Lane toward the IU Outdoor Pool spotted the man driving an older model car asking directions. \n"The guy stopped by me and asked me where the mall was," said the victim, a graduate student in the IU School of Music. "While I was answering him, he was rubbing his penis. A couple of minutes later he stopped by me again and asked me if I needed a ride."\nA similar incident was reported June 25 on Jordan Avenue north of Third Street when a man of the same description asked another woman for directions, also rubbing his genitalia.\n"I felt really weird and scared," said the victim under condition of anonymity. "Since then, I'm afraid to walk alone."\nThe two most recent incidents happened at the Main Library between 9 and 10 p.m. on July 28 and 29. McClure said a man of a similar description exposed himself to a female studying in a secluded area of the Undergraduate Collection both nights.\n"If more people seeing this would report it, we could stop it sooner," McClure said. "We are, at this time, putting more manpower into stopping this activity."\nWhile no one has been taken into custody for any of the four recent incidents, McClure has made another arrest in a recent flashing case. \nIUPD responded to a report July 13 about a man in the area of McNutt Quad who exposed himself to two young women, ages 16 and 17. John Lord of Evansville was stopped in the area and later admitted to the incident. Lord, 30, "also admitted to being arrested for the same crime several times in the past," IUPD spokesman Lt. Jerry Minger said.\nA similar incident took place July 6 in the women's restroom of the IU Fieldhouse located on Fee Lane when a man exposed himself to a 15-year-old woman. McClure showed several photos to the victim, who picked out the photograph matching Lord, IUPD said in a statement. \nMcClure got an arrest warrant for Lord on July 24 but found he was being held already on other charges at the Vanderburgh County Jail. He will be transported to the Monroe County Jail to face charges of public indecency, which is a Class D felony.\nWhile Minger says indecent exposure is a crime where victims don't usually have to fear for their safety, that doesn't mean the offenders don't plan ahead.\n"Lord would go on IU's Web site to see what kind of conferences on campus were going on," Minger said. "He would see the Cheerleading Campus for high school and junior high students, drive up from Evansville, and then hang out by the Field House and the residence halls where the students were staying."\nMinger attributes Lord's capture to witnesses who saw something out of place.\n"He was caught because he looked out of place and people called us," Minger said. "That's what we want to happen. If you see someone out of place call the police department and we'll come and check it out. That's what we're here for."\nTo report an incident involving a similar event of public exposure, Minger asks people to come forward and file a report with the IUPD by calling 855-4111.