Parents on the Upper West Side are holding on to their kids extra tight this week, after two men were recently spotted masturbating outside two schools.
Administrators at Central Park Montessori, a preschool and nursery school program located on West 91st Street, sent a note to parents Wednesday about a disturbing incident that occurred at school dismissal the previous day.
The note said that a parent noticed a man masturbating across the street from the school and they were able to take a photo of the man.
A distraught mother, who asked not to be named, told the Post that police were called, but by the time they arrived, the suspect had fled the scene.
“People are sick,” said one father who did not want to be named.
“I'm glad we know what he looks like.”
An NYPD spokesperson confirmed they received a public lewdness report on Tuesday stating “a man was seen exposing and molesting his genitals in front of 1 West 91st Street.”
He said police were investigating and increasing patrols around the school, especially at holiday break.
“I'm experiencing a range of emotions,” the mother said.
“I'm so grateful that a parent captured the picture so clearly and that they reported it to the school. I'm also very impressed with the school's response. I feel I have a responsibility to do more.”
The parent said she wanted to pressure the New York Police to find the man who masturbated.
“I feel it's my job to put this at the top of their priority list and make sure this guy gets caught and goes behind bars,” he said.
That same day, Tuesday, a man was seen sexually abusing himself across the street from PS 075 Emily Dickinson School on West End Avenue, next to a signboard for a kindergarten registration event, according to a parent who captured the man on camera before he left the area.
It is not clear if the same person is behind both incidents.
A NYPD spokesman said there was no report available on the West End Avenue incident.
