Crime & Safety

Lansdale Police Nab Suspected Serial Masturbator

Gerald Boyce Jr. was caught in the act near the Lansdale train station and is being charged in connection with five similar incidents where a man was seen masturbating in front of teenage girls and women.

 

Gerald Boyce Jr., Lansdale resident and father of an 8-year-old daughter, is allegedly the serial masturbator that has been targeting teenage girls and women in and around Lansdale train station since June 2011, according to police.

Boyce, 40, of the 600 block of Wissahickon Avenue, Lansdale, (near ) was arrested in the act by a plainsclothes Lansdale officer May 14 in the rear lot of Lansdale train station, according to court documents.

Find out what's happening in Norristownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

He matches the description and a sketch given by victims on five different occasions, police said. Boyce was nabbed outside a black 2009 Ford F-150 extended cab pickup truck with a tan stripe, the same description vehicle given by victims to police in prior incidents.

Boyce has a preliminary hearing set for May 31 at 2 p.m. before District Judge Harold Borek.

Find out what's happening in Norristownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Boyce faces 29 misdemeanor counts and one summary count: six counts of first-degree indecent exposure, four counts of second-degree indecent exposure, eight counts of corruption of minors, six counts of open lewdness and six counts of summary disorderly conduct, according to a court affidavit.

While being interviewed by Detective Adrienne Duffy on May 14, Boyce did not deny involvement in the incidents. 

He told Duffy he could not talk to her about what he had done because he would lose custody of his daughter, according to the court affidavit.

Boyce also asked if he would be placed on the Pennsylvania Megan's Law.

"None of those girls were underage, were they?" Boyce asked Duffy, according to court records. In fact, out of the 10 victims who saw Boyce allegedly masturbating, eight of them were underage.

On June 25, 2011, at 7:45 p.m., Lansdale Police responded to 124 E. Main Street for a report of indecent exposure, according to court records.

Four juvenile females, all aged 15, , according to court records. The suspect was described as a white male in his 30s, with thin to medium build, wearing a light gray Phillies cap and sunglasses.

On Jan. 8, 2012, at 4:17 p.m., Lansdale Police responded to a second report of indecent exposure at West Fourth Street and Cannon Avenue.

In that instance, two juvenile females , according to court records. The girls told police the suspect followed them in a newer-style, large black pickup truck from the 7-Eleven at West Main Street and Cannon Avenue, police said.

The suspect in that incident was described as a white male in his 30s, with dark facial stubble, wearing a gray cap and sunglasses, according to court records. 

Two days later, on Jan. 10, at 7:45 p.m., Lansdale Police responded to a third report of indecent exposure, this time at Lansdale train station.

An adult female said a white male had his pants down and shirt up and was masturbating near the lot of the station, according to court records. He was described as a tall white male wearing a gray hat, according to court records.

On Feb. 6, at 6:06 p.m., Lansdale Police responded to a fourth indecent exposure report at the Lansdale train station.

An adult female reported she saw a white male next to a newer-model black pickup truck with an extended cab, according to court records. 

She saw the man enter the truck, put a gray hat on and followed her in his truck as she walked to the rear lot of the station, according to court records.

She turned and saw he had his pants partially down with his erect penis exposed and masturbating, according to court records.

The victim later identified the sketch as the suspect, according to court records.

On April 20, at 7:10 p.m., two females aged 16 reported to police that they were walking through the rear lot of the train station and saw a Ford F-150 extended cab pickup truck with a tan stripe follow them slowly, according to court records.

The truck stopped and a white male got out, police said. He opened his pants, exposed his penis and began masturbating, according to court records. The suspect was described as a white male in his 30s, with a thin to medium build, wearing a gray baseball cap.

The victims identified the composite sketch from Jan. 8 as resembling the suspect in the incident, according to court records.

On May 14, at 4:10 p.m., Lansdale Officer Patrick McKernan was on plainclothes detail of the train station, when he saw a black F-150 pickup with a tan stripe enter the rear lot and park in a space, according to court records.

The vehicle matched the description in prior indecent exposure incidents, according to court records.

McKernan saw the driver – a white male, wearing a baseball cap, later identified as Boyce – sitting in the truck and watching pedestrian traffic for 10 minutes, according to court records.

Boyce drove the truck out of the space, drove slowly through the lot and parked the truck in another parking space, according to court records. McKernan then saw Boyce allegedly exit the truck, pull out his erect penis and begin masturbating.

During this time, a train had reportedly pulled into the station and pedestrian traffic was in the parking lot.

Boyce was taken into custody and brought to Lansdale Police Department. He was wearing a gray Philles cap.

Police said Boyce's description matched the composite sketch.

The adult female victim from the Jan. 10 incident reportedly identified Boyce as the person she saw masturbating in the rear lot of the train station.

Boyce was arraigned May 15 at 4 p.m. at District Judge Kenneth Deatelhauser in Souderton. Bail was set at $100,000 cash. A surety bond in that amount was posted May 16, according to court records.

Boyce is being represented by Patrick Lyons of Maple Glen, according to court records.

Bikers Against Child Abuse of Montgomery County will be in attendance at the preliminary hearing.

---

Related Stories


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.