Props to the Cops: “Metro Transit Police announce conviction for indecent exposure in first case to benefit from online reporting”

Photo by PoPville flickr user KJinDC

From WMATA:

In the first case to benefit from new online customer reporting tools, Metro Transit Police (MTPD) today announced the conviction of Robert Lee Scott, Jr., 48, of Capitol Heights, Md., for two counts of indecent exposure within the Metrorail system.

On July 26, Metro Transit Police responded to Reagan National Airport Station for a report of a male subject masturbating aboard a train. Responding officers detained Scott based on witness descriptions, and he was positively identified at the scene by two passengers who were aboard the train.

Because Scott’s description and actions were similar to two open indecent exposure cases being investigated by MTPD, a transit police detective responded to the scene to further question Scott.

The responding detective found that Scott was wearing a shirt bearing the logo of a popular national restaurant chain. The restaurant shirt matched descriptions from two previously reported incidents: one reported online earlier the same day and one reported the previous day.

Scott was arrested and charged with two counts of indecent exposure in Virginia (§ 18.2-387). He pled guilty to the charges on Monday (August 27) and was sentenced on each charge to 12 months in jail, 10 of which were suspended. He was also found guilty of one count of giving false identity to a law-enforcement officer (§19.2-82.1) and sentenced to 12 months in jail, 10 of which were suspended. Two of the sentences will run concurrently; as a result, Scott is expected to serve a total of four months in the Arlington County Detention Center.

“I commend our customers for reporting these incidents and Metro Transit Police for pursuing this case and others like it,” said Metro General Manager and CEO Richard Sarles. “Through reporting and active police work, we are sending a message that inappropriate sexual conduct will not be tolerated on Metro.”

Metro’s online sexual harassment reporting tool, located at wmata.com/harassment, allows someone who feels they were sexually harassed to report the incident directly to Metro Transit Police using a web-based form. Information submitted through the web portal is immediately transmitted to Metro Transit Police for follow-up action, and people who report incidents have the option of remaining anonymous. Metro has also established an email address (harassment [at] wmata [dot] com) to allow victims to send photo or video files to assist an investigation.

Scott is also expected to face one count of misdemeanor sexual abuse for the incident reported online, which allegedly occurred on July 25 aboard a train at Foggy Bottom Station.