A Montgomery County man was arrested after he allegedly exposed himself inside at least three stores on the Main Line.
In one incident, police in Radnor Township were called to the T.J. Maxx located at the St. David's Square Shopping Center on the 500 block of East Lancaster Avenue for reports of an indecent act on Friday, Dec. 13, officials said.
Witnesses told officers that a man had exposed himself in an aisle of the store, police said. The man, identified as 47-year-old Lawrence Ansley, left the area before police arrived but was seen on surveillance cameras.
'There were women, particularly, in the store, who were walking around the isles when they noticed that a male had been in the store for a lengthy period of time and not purchasing items or even trying things on, which they found suspicious," Radnor Township Police Department Sgt. Brady McHale said.
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The second incident happened on Monday, Dec. 16 around 12:30 p.m. in the Target in King of Prussia, according to officials with the Upper Merion Township Police Department.
A man, identified as Ansley, started a casual conversation with a woman in the toy department at the store, police said.
At some point during this conversation, Ansley began to masturbate under his clothes before the woman left and called police, officials said.
The second incident happened around 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 17 when another woman was approached by a man, identified as Ansley, at the Macy's inside the King of Prussia Mall, according to Upper Merion police.
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Ansley began a casual conversation with this woman in the children's department of the store before it turned inappropriate, police explained.
Ansley exposed his genitals and started to masturbate, police said. The woman recorded him before contacting loss prevention and the police.
"Unfortunately, victims in these crimes, they’re shocked by what they see, as you can imagine. And we never want anyone to confront someone who is doing any type of illicit behavior. Let us handle that," McHale said.
He is accused of leaving the store. The Upper Merion Police and Radnor Police departments worked together to identify that he was the suspect accused of these lewd acts.
Ansley was arrested without incident by the Radnor Township Police Department on Wednesday, Dec. 18. His bail was set to 10% of $50,000.
Officials said that Ansley is being held at the George H. Hill Correctional Facility.
Ansley was charged with open lewdness and indecent assault.
Police told NBC10 that they believe there are more victims who witnessed Ansley committing lewd acts.
Investigators said that Ansley was wearing distinct gold-rimmed glasses during at least two of the incidents.
If you have any information, please contact the Radnor Township Police Department at 610-688-5600 or the Upper Merion Police Department at 610-265-3232.
