Library Gropings and Flashings May Be Related

by Matthew Beaudry

Two reports of women being groped in the library prompted police to issue a text alert early Friday morning and police state that the gropings may be connected to two flashing incidents in the library back in August.

The morning of Friday November thirteenth, police sent a safety alert about the gropings, which first occurred in mid-October, with a second incident happening just last week.

All four events, occurring in the UVU library, share similarities in the description of the perpetrator, described as a white male with light brown hair, in their early 20s and approximately six feet tall.

“It appears they favor the library,” said UVU police detective Kelly Liddiard. “The suspect’s description is pretty similar in all of these cases.”  Both gropings were said to have happened in the afternoon.

So far no similar incidents have been reported to UVU police and they are requesting that victims come forward with information on any similar events that may not have been previously reported.

Police dispatch is open 24/7 to take reports.  The phone number is 863-5555.

Liddiard also stated that the acts appeared to be random and police are uncertain regarding any motives behind each of the incidents. He reminded everyone on campus to be on guard and alert and to call police dispatch with any concerns of suspicious activities.

Two separate sexual assaults on the University of Utah campus earlier this month prompted officials at that school to also issue warnings to students.

Two female students, walking near the Heritage Center on the U of U campus were grabbed and then groped by a man while simultaneously uttering sexually explicit comments. Neither victim reported any injuries and the man fled the scene before he could be captured.

Police describe the attacker in that case as a white male in his mid to late 30’s, 5 feet 9, 200 to 210 pounds.

Another woman was grabbed later in the same week, this time by a man described by police as a husky, Hispanic male. Police report that the perpetrator also made some sexually explicit comments during the attack.

Police deny that the attacks were committed by the same person, and investigators don’t believe that the attacks are related.