Appeal and £5,000 reward extended after more Woking indecent exposure incidents
There has been a spate of indecent exposure incidents on the Basingstoke Canal towpath
An appeal for information has been extended by Crimestoppers, after more indecent sexual exposure incidents in Woking.
The charity have also extended their offer of a £5,000 reward for information they exclusively receive that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or people linked to these sexual exposure incidents.
The most recent incidents occurred on Wednesday 14 July near Woodlands Avenue, between 8.45pm and 8.50pm, and on Saturday 3 July at around 8.15am, when a man exposed himself to a woman on a path leading to the Basingstoke Canal in Brookwood.
Before these latest occurrences, there has been a string of incidents on a stretch of the Basingstoke Canal towpath.
They have involved a range of female victims, from young teenagers to much older people.
Victims were flashed at or approached in an intimidating and suspicious way.
Glenys Balchin, Regional Manager for Surrey and Sussex at Crimestoppers, said:
“It is unacceptable that people are made to feel afraid to go for a walk in their local area because of these brazen and indiscriminate incidents, which need to stop. This is why our charity has kept the appeal open and available.
“You can contact our charity by calling our UK Contact Centre, which is open 24/7, on freephone number 0800 555 111 or you can use our simple and secure anonymous online form. Crimestoppers has been taking crime information since our charity was formed in the late 1980s. Every day, more than a thousand people trust us with their anonymous information. Nobody will know you contacted us, only you.
“Please do call 999 as soon as you’re able to if you find yourself a victim of a sexual exposure. It is important to trust your instincts and if you think a situation is getting worse, find a way to escape.
"Put a distance between yourself and the other person if you can. The police assure us that they are regularly present in the area, however do always remain vigilant and careful when in the vicinity.”
David Bentley, Borough Commander Woking, Woking Police, added:
“We know someone will know something in the community about who is carrying out these offences.
"Does somebody have a routine that would match the location of these incidents? Have you seen anybody acting suspiciously in this area? Do you know somebody who is out relatively early in the morning or out at these times? Do you know or suspect who is responsible?
"Maybe you have dashcam footage or CCTV images that may reveal something helpful for the investigation.
“Woking Police are keen to appeal for information from anyone who may suspect who is committing these offences. Any piece of information could be valuable and could be the missing piece of the investigation".