Ridin' Dirty

Back in the sultry heat of August, the Tulsa Police Department issued an unusual report: the Sex Crimes Unit was on the hunt for a man on an indecent exposure spree in south Tulsa traffic and parking lots.

By late summer and early fall, four victims had reported sighting the fully erect, middle-aged man trying to catch their attention by lifting up in his seat to show off his goods.

He "appears to be a neat dresser," said Officer Leland Ashley, a TPD public information officer, "He's dressed like a white collar worker, doing something professional."

But the heavy-set snappy dresser is allegedly behaving very unprofessionally in his black GMC Yukon. The victims -- from teenage girls to adult women -- reported a white male, approximately 35 to 45 years old with short, thick hair and a penchant for airing out his manhood in afternoon south Tulsa traffic.

Victims also reported the man has a "big gut," according to the Aug. 30 TPD release. The suspect's Yukon has tinted windows and clips where the tags should be.

"There were 'clips' attached where the tag should have been," the Aug. 30 reported stated, "So the suspect is likely either holding the tag on with clips for easy removal, or clipping something over the tag."

Police weren't able to nab the flasher, and as weather cooled and winter moved in, sightings of the agent provocateur dwindled.

But here we go again, said Officer Ashley. "Friday [Jan. 6] he started this back up," he said.

The newest victim indicated the man may be older than the original 35 to 45 age range, and is more likely in his early or mid-50s.

Heath Sharp

At about 3:15pm on Jan. 6, the SoTul Flasher exposed himself in the area of 10100 E. 71 St., but he didn't stop there. The suspect then followed the victim to E. 61st St., and rose up in the driver's seat "to expose himself while masturbating," the newest TPD report stated.

TPD has confirmed that the Jan. 6 incident is connected to the incidents that occurred in August. All victims stated the flasher wears button-down dress shirts. Perhaps it's the only fashion statement he feels complements his wholly unwelcome wood?

TPD also suggested that the suspect may be changing his hair color to elude capture. Some victims described him as having thick brown or reddish hair, while others said he had gray hair, according to TPD's most recent media release.

But the most recent victim took with her a memento from her harrowing experience: a cell phone photo of the suspect's vehicle.

Now police and the public have more specific things to look out for, or away from, next time you find yourself caught in midday 71st St. traffic. The black GMC Yukon has the words "Yukon XL" written on the sides, no chrome trim and a small luggage rack on top, the release stated.

"A local dealership informed detectives that Yukon XL models are fairly rare and that the majority of Yukon models sold are Denali models," the release stated. The vehicle is a 2007 or newer.

Sad Case, Dangerous Case

The American Psychiatric Association's bible, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (commonly shortened to DSM-IV), lays out the diagnostic criteria for exhibitionism like this:

First, over the course of at least six months, a person has "recurrent, intense, sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges or behaviors involving the exposure of one's genitals to an unsuspecting stranger."

And second, "The person has acted on these urges, or the sexual urges or fantasies caused marked distress or interpersonal difficulty," according to the mental health manual.

Check off both of those boxes for this suspect. Exhibitionism is considered a "paraphilia" in the DSM-IV, which are described as "recurrent, intense sexual urges and sexually arousing fantasies generally involving non-human objects, the suffering or humiliation of oneself or partner, or children or other non-consenting persons."

Think fetishists of all stripes, sadists and voyeurs.

TPD's main concern, he said, is that his behavior will progress into sexual assault, rape or other violent behavior.

Though only a handful of official police reports are on the books, there are likely more victims who haven't bothered to call police. Many people "don't give it the seriousness that we give it," Officer Ashley said.

"A lot of your rapists don't start raping," Ashley said, "It progresses" from something seemingly harmless like indecent exposure into more serious offenses.

"He feels comfortable in the area" of 71st St. and south Tulsa, Ashley said. "Does he work or live in the area? What brings him to that certain area of town?"

Ashley is hopeful the suspect will be brought to justice. "We'll catch him because someone will recognize him," Ashley said. "I really believe that."

Ashley said if you see the suspect, "please notify us. A lot of people say, 'No harm, no foul, he didn't touch me,'" but TPD sees this issue a little differently.

Call 918-596-COPS or 911 to offer up even minor clues, Ashley urged. "Anything to give us a lead," he said.

"A lot of times," he said, "the one lead that someone had and wasn't even really going to call us about, that they didn't think was going to mean anything, that is the what leads us" to locating a suspect, Ashley explained.

Send all comments and feedback regarding City to jlloyd@urbantulsa.com