Teen quizzed over serial flashing and sex assaults

GARDAÍ have questioned a teenager they believe is a serial flasher who also sexually assaulted some women over a six-month period.

Detectives also believe he may have molested or exposed himself to several more women who have not yet reported the crime. The youth was detained after gardaí drafted in extra resources and mounted a number of undercover operations in the western suburbs of Cork city.

A senior Garda confirmed yesterday that the youth’s alleged activities started six months ago and they were concentrated in the suburbs of Bishopstown, Wilton and Glasheen.

It is claimed the teenager was involved in more than a dozen incidents of indecent exposure and also molested “a number of women” who ranged in age from their late teens to their 70s.

Superintendent Barry McPolin, who led the investigation, said a lot of resources were put into catching the perpetrator. He said none of the women were seriously injured.

“But that’s not to say that each incident wasn’t most distressing to the victims concerned,” he said.

As reports started to come in, detectives soon realised that they were probably dealing with one individual.

However, while they started to piece together a profile of the attacker, it proved difficult to detain him because he struck in a number of different places and at different times of day.

“We tried to develop a pattern when trends or similarities emerged. But these incidents could happen during the day time, or when the injured parties were walking home in the early hours of the morning,” the superintendent said.

He said that, from the outset, gardaí took the incidents very seriously.

“We mounted several plainclothes operations involving both male and female gardaí. We spent a number of months on it,” Supt McPolin said.

He added that he was concerned there may be even more women who were victims of the youth.

“If people haven’t come forward we would encourage them to come to us. They can get in touch with their local Garda station,” he said.

The youth was questioned at Togher Garda Station and Supt McPolin confirmed that a file would be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions.