Police hunt for flasher targeting women in Riverside Park

Detective Sergeant Paul Buckland, who is leading the investigation, said he is pulling all resources together to catch the repeat offender.

The man in question is accused of exposing himself three times in Riverside Park on May 2.

Officers from various parts of Southampton are now working around the clock to identify the man.

'Targeting lone females'

The suspect (Image: Hampshire Constabulary)

An increased police presence in the park is to prevent the ‘escalation of offending’, according to DS Buckland.

He said: “Whilst no one has been injured at the moment, females have been approached out in the park by this man which gives us the concern that we need to make sure we're doing everything we possibly can to provide reassurance to the public and also locate him.”

It was also reported to police that another girl, aged 16, was subject to indecent exposure on May 2 at a city train station.

But DS Buckland said there is no clear pattern between who the offender is targeting.

He said: “He does appear to have been targeting lone females who were walking through the park at the time.

“Who he approached and who reported these incidents to us is varying in ages and descriptions.

“The cause for concern is that there is a male who has chosen females because they are lone and vulnerable in the park.”

He added: “Ordinarily we'll find some incidences reported like this in singularity, but to have three or four reports within a couple of hours, this is a level of offending that would suggest it may escalate.”

Detective Sergeant Paul Buckland (Image: Newsquest)

The incidents

Officers were called to two reports between 4.20pm and 4.45pm of a man indecently exposing himself to a woman in her 30s and a 16-year-old girl.

At about 4.15pm, the woman in her 30s was walking in the direction of Mansbridge bridge when she was approached by a man who indecently exposed himself.

Between 4.30pm and 4.45pm, it was reported that a man had approached a 16-year-old girl in the wooded area between St Marys Church and Monks Way and indecently exposed himself.

Police said the man tried to speak to the girl, but she walked away and managed to leave the area.

During these two incidents, the man performed a sexual act in front of the two victims.

The force then received a third report shortly before 7pm that a woman in her 40s had been approached by a man indecently exposing himself.

He then attempted to follow her before running away.

A fourth incident was later reported to the force following a previous appeal.

A 16-year-old girl reported that a male indecently exposed himself to her at Swaythling train station at approximately 6.30pm on May 2.

'We do not want offending to escalate'

People can expect to see police officers carrying out regular patrols at Riverside Park and the surrounding residential areas.

These will be carried out at various times of the day.

DS Buckland said: “This type of offending needs to be dealt with seriously and robustly by the police.

“We need to make sure we do everything possible.

“The targeting here is on lone, vulnerable females and what we don’t want to happen is for any of the offending to escalate.”

But the force is yet to identify whether these incidents are linked to previous cases of indecent exposure in Southampton Common last month.

“It's something we are keeping an open mind about”, said DS Buckland.

He added: “We’re looking for a male aged between 16 and 25, about six feet tall, and of slim build.

“We know that he was wearing dark clothing - a dark hoodie and either a balaclava or a black medical face mask.

“In the later instance, he was wearing a blue dressing gown.”

Anyone with information is asked to call 101 quoting 44240183999/Op Tiree.