Man exposes himself to teen on bus, but she records it for police

SEATTLE -- A man exposed himself to a 15-year-old girl on a Metro bus last month, but the quick-witted victim was able to snap photos and videos of the suspect for police.

The incident raises questions about the safety of teens riding buses alone.

“We have a young victim sitting there,” says Myrle Carner of Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound. “She starts hearing weird noises, looks over and the suspect is exposing himself.”

The victim was able to get video and pictures of the suspect before he exited the bus on the 6000 block of 16th Avenue SW.

Crime Stoppers is hoping someone will identify him before he does this again.

“We need to know who this individual is, because we don't want him riding the buses,” Carner said.

Nicole Stalder isn't surprised to hear about the case. She says she saw someone undress on a bus once.

“It’s pretty shocking when it happens, definitely. I told the bus driver, the guy in the back is naked.”

She says it's much worse when a child or teen is involved.

King County Metro doesn`t know exactly how many youngsters ride buses on their own. But they say it is common, especially during the summer. They work with the King County Sheriff’s Office to keep everyone on board safe, but they say parents should also talk to their kids before they send them off alone.

“If they see something or have weird encounter with somebody, tell a responsible adult,” said police detective Jason Stanley. “That could be the bus driver or teacher, or they can call 911.”

He doesn't advise a teenager trying to take matters into their own hands.

“Even if you're trying to get a picture on the sly, you don`t know how that person is going to react if they realize what you`re doing.”

Stanley also said teens should ride with a buddy, and make sure they`re paying attention to their surroundings. He said they shouldn’t get caught up on their phone or music.