Last year, the NYPD released video of a man accused of "manipulating his penis outside of his pants" on a Manhattan subway platform. It turned out the suspect was retired police detective Steven Esposito—and now he's on trial.
According to the police report, on October 19th, 2015, just before midnight, a 38-year-old woman was on the southbound platform of the Fifth Avenue N/R station when she "heard a hissing noise beside her. When she looked to see what the noise was, she observed the suspect manipulating his penis outside of his pants."
The victim was so upset that she started crying, and a male good Samaritan helped her follow the suspect, who was leaving the station, and film him. Then the pervert allegedly took out a gun and threatened them, telling them to mind their own business.
After police released the video, saying that the suspect was wanted for criminal menacing, Esposito, a veteran cop, was arrested.
The Post reports that the victim testified in court, telling jurors that she "heard something to my right, making a hissing, kissing…maybe a suction noise... He was playing with his penis, and I was scared."
"He was looking at my face, and smiling, and making sexual noises, like he was going to force me to give him a blow job or something," the victim added. And when Esposito allegedly took out his gun to threaten her and the Good Samaritan, "We thought he was going to kill us, or try to intimidate us or something."
The tip that led to Esposito's arrest came from a fellow police officer, who recognized him on a wanted poster. According to the Post, Esposito's defense attorney is claiming his client was doing something entirely different: "Gerald McMahon said during opening statement that his client wasn’t making 'kissing sounds” but was making 'hissing sounds … consistent with urination... He either pees in his pants or pees in he subway station. And then this woman comes upon him and starts screaming hysterically.'"
If you see or experience sexual misconduct in the subway (this includes seeing a masturbator, being groped, being grinded on, etc.), you can report it to the MTA and police on this website. There's also a place for you to upload photos and/or video. Don't let the perverts win.
