Texsox Posted August 28, 2005 Share Posted August 28, 2005 When a pervert exposed himself on a Manhattan subway last week, Thao Nguyen reached for her secret weapon - her camera phone. The quick-thinking 22-year-old snapped a shot of the smirking sicko, took it to cops and then posted it on the Internet. Word of her campaign to nail the flasher raced through cyberspace, and more than 45,000 people had viewed the photographic evidence by last night. "I just hope they catch him," Nguyen told the Daily News. "Maybe someone will recognize him. Maybe it will stop other people from doing it," she said. "Maybe other women will use their camera phones to stop crime." Nguyen's transformation from quiet Web developer to feisty crimefighter happened on an uptown R train the afternoon of Aug. 19. She was on her way back to work after a job interview when a middle-aged, blond-haired man dressed in a black shirt and jeans sat down across from her. "He kept staring at me," she said. "I could feel his eyes on me. I wanted to avoid eye contact so I looked away, but I could see his reflection in the window. "I saw him massaging himself and then he unzipped and pulled it out. I thought, 'I can't believe he's doing this in the middle of the day!' " The subway car was mostly empty and Nguyen felt nervous, so she pulled out her Samsung P777 cell phone, equipped with a 1.3 megapixel digital phone. "I turned on the camera," she said. "He was still masturbating. I aimed it and quickly took the shot. As soon as I took it, he zipped up and got off the train." Nguyen said she was disgusted by the incident and immediately reported it to a police officer at the 34th St. station. The next day she filled out an official complaint, and the following day a detective had her look at hundreds of photos of ex-cons. None of them was the culprit, but Nguyen wasn't about to give up. She posted the degenerate's photo on the Web sites Flickr and Craigslist, and bloggers began linking to her site. Her photo and story drew a few juvenile snickers, but most of the comments have been positive. One Netizen wrote: "You go, girl!" Another commented, "I hope his mom sees it." The NYPD, which confirmed Nguyen had filed a complaint, also was impressed. "It's great she took the picture; it'll help with the investigation," said NYPD Detective Kevin Czartoryski, who warned that a woman should be careful if the flasher sees her taking the picture. "If it can be done in a safe manner, it'd be helpful to locate the suspect," said Czartoryski, a NYPD spokesman. "Common sense should be used when deciding if a picture can be taken." Nguyen isn't the first straphanger to use her cell phone to catch a criminal. In May, two Catholic schoolgirls took a photo of a man en flagrante on the F train and showed it to a cop, who nabbed the pervert. Nguyen said even if her tormentor isn't caught - and charged with public lewdness, a misdemeanor that carries up to three months in jail - she's glad she took action. "He made me feel creepy," she said. "I want to embarrass him." If you recognize the man in the picture, call the Daily News at (212) 210-1574 and let us know. Originally published on August 26, 2005 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmteam Posted August 28, 2005 Share Posted August 28, 2005 QUOTE(Texsox @ Aug 28, 2005 -> 06:31 AM) If you recognize the man in the picture, call the Daily News at (212) 210-1574 and let us know. Would anyone really want to tell everyone that they could recognize some guys little buddy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted August 28, 2005 Author Share Posted August 28, 2005 I was LMAO at the "middle of the day" as if it was later at night she would have thought, "hey he's masterbating in front of me, at least it's after 10 o'clock?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SleepyWhiteSox Posted August 28, 2005 Share Posted August 28, 2005 (edited) Just a thought... Isn't it illegal to not only photograph someone without their permission, but also to display over the internet without their permission? Or does their illegal activity cancel it out?...It made me think about those stories about people breaking in somewhere and injuring themselves and then suing the owner... Edit: I also remember hearing about laws being put in place to make it illegal to use camera phones in certain places. I wonder if any of that applies... Edited August 28, 2005 by SleepyWhiteSox Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RibbieRubarb Posted August 28, 2005 Share Posted August 28, 2005 QUOTE(Texsox @ Aug 28, 2005 -> 05:31 AM) "I saw him massaging himself and then he unzipped and pulled it out. I thought, 'I can't believe he's doing this in the middle of the day!' " The early bird gets the worm... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted August 28, 2005 Author Share Posted August 28, 2005 QUOTE(SleepyWhiteSox @ Aug 28, 2005 -> 03:19 PM) Just a thought... Isn't it illegal to not only photograph someone without their permission, but also to display over the internet without their permission? Or does their illegal activity cancel it out?...It made me think about those stories about people breaking in somewhere and injuring themselves and then suing the owner... Edit: I also remember hearing about laws being put in place to make it illegal to use camera phones in certain places. I wonder if any of that applies... If you are in a public place, you have no expectation of privacy. That allows companies to video tape, etc. Also, if you commit a crime, you also lose any rights along that way. Publishing brings into other issues, and different rights. What they could not do was use it for their financial gain. For example if you are at a bar and they film a commercial, they need a model release from everyone that appears in the commercial. If there is a crime at that same bar, or something newsworthy (fire, shooting, etc.) again, they can use your image. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted August 28, 2005 Author Share Posted August 28, 2005 QUOTE(RibbieRubarb @ Aug 28, 2005 -> 04:44 PM) The early bird gets the worm... I guess this guy misheard the cliche and thought is was a worm in the hand is better than two in the bush . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RibbieRubarb Posted August 28, 2005 Share Posted August 28, 2005 QUOTE(Texsox @ Aug 28, 2005 -> 03:49 PM) I guess this guy misheard the cliche and thought is was a worm in the hand is better than two in the bush . . . Badabum! Good night everyone! We're here all week! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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