A Georgetown student was victim to an indecent exposure this week, in the first reported sexual harassment incident this semester.
A middle-aged man blocked the path of an NHS sophomore with his car, verbally harassed her, exposed himself and threw her $60, according to a Public Safety Alert. The student related the experience on condition of anonymity.
The incident occurred at the corner of 35th and P Streets, N.W. at 2:15 a.m. on Oct. 23.
“I’ll pay you $60 if you watch me masturbate,” the perpetrator said from his car as he rolled down the window and moved toward the passenger side, according to the student. She explained that she did not realize that she was being followed because she was walking by herself.
“Usually when I’m alone, I just go straight to where I need to go,” she said. “When he blocked the street, my initial thought was that someone was trying to run me over.”
However, upon seeing that the man’s pants were unzipped, she said that she became worried that he might sexually assault her.
Although the Department of Public Safety consistently warns students via e-mail alerts of the danger of walking through the West Georgetown and Burleith neighborhoods late at night, such events continue.
This student was one of three victimized last weekend. The other two students were physically attacked.
She flagged down a DPS car patrolling the area, but the suspect drove away before he could be caught or the car properly identified. The victim expressed gratitude for the rapid response and continuous attention paid to her by DPS.
DPS then called MPD, which arrived on the scene and completed questioning within an hour.
“Everyone’s been really great about it, especially Public Safety,” the woman said. “I practically have my own police car to drive me around.”
MPD is pursuing a search for the suspect because his physical description is similar to a man who committed a similar crime on Prospect Street earlier this semester.
David Morrell, Vice President for University Safety, confirmed that the first individual remains unidentified.
Anthony Meyers, a DPS Officer who drives one of the Safe Rides student escort vans and patrols the campus at night, gave the involved student a contact number so that she is ensured a ride home in the evenings.
He also supplied her with the numbers of Metropolitan Police Department investigators searching for the perpetrator, counseling contacts and three whistles, which she now keeps in her purse.
She expressed frustration that pepper spray is illegal in Washington, DC.
“For a girl, even if you’re not going to use it, it makes you feel so much safer,” she said.
