A local man accused of groping and harassing at least four women in Park Slope this summer was arrested on Thursday, more than two months after the first incident was reported.
Cops cuffed 23-year-old William Nuesi, a Park Slope resident himself, on the afternoon of Sept. 5, according to the NYPD. Police had previously released photos and videos of the suspect as reports about his alleged behavior kept rolling in.
The first incident was reported on June 25, when Nuesi allegedly approached a 41-year-old woman from behind a block west of Prospect Park, grabbed her butt, and fled.
Three women reported similar attacks on Aug. 9, 13, and 14. Two of the incidents, on Aug. 13 and 14, occurred at the same intersection near Fifth Street and Prospect Park West, just an hour apart in the late hours of the night.
Nuesi, suspected of carrying out all four attacks, was charged with four counts of forcible touching and four counts of second-degree harassment. Both charges are considered misdemeanors, punishable by fines, short jail sentences, probation, and community service.
The incidents alarmed Park Slope residents, who took to online message boards to share their concerns. On Reddit, multiple people said they had been followed and harassed while walking near Prospect Park this summer. Some said they had experienced similar attacks months earlier.
As of Sept. 1, rape, assault, and sex crimes are up citywide, per the latest crime statistics. While rape and assault are down in the 78th Precinct, where the gropings occurred, non-rape sex crimes are up 93.8% year-over-year, with a total of 62 incidents reported so far this year.