Several women have been attacked by a serial exhibitionist at a popular walking spot and police promise “positive body language” will help keep them safe.
At least five women have shared online their harrowing experiences with an exhibitionist at Lake Eden in North Lakes, a suburb north of Brisbane, over the past two months.
The man is described as having blonde hair and is often seen wearing a colored t-shirt and shorts.
April reported seeing him on a Sunday afternoon in late March, the mail reported.
She noticed the strange man sitting on a bench and staring at her.
A serial flasher has been targeting women walking at Lake Eden (pictured) in North Lakes, Brisbane.
“There was a group of people walking ahead and once they turned the corner, he got up and started walking,” she said.
‘As I approached the corner, I moved as far away from the bush as I could and he stuck his head out from behind the tree.
“When I screamed, he ran in the opposite direction.”
Maggie encountered the exhibitionist on April 15 while walking her dogs.
She noticed the man walking towards her before “swerving” into nearby bushes.
“At first I thought he was going to pee, but that in itself is strange because he was walking towards me,” she said.
‘I could still see it between some trees.
“He put his hands in his pants, but I saw the path to the left and I took that path, so I wouldn’t have to walk past him.”
Maggie believes the man only left her alone when another person walked past her.
“I think he was going to follow me down that path,” she said.
‘I hadn’t seen him until he was right in front of me walking towards me, so I think it was just him seeing that I was alone.
“There was no one around and I thought it was a good time.”
Holly shared another report against the man on April 26 when she saw him run towards her before slowing down as he approached.
“I continued my walk and then I saw him jumping over the railing into the bushes,” she said.
‘When I passed by, I turned around and saw him hiding behind the tree with his hands on his waist.
‘When he saw me looking, he jumped over the railing to run in the other direction.
“He kept looking at me as he ran.”
Sophie said she was almost in tears after the man approached her on April 27.
“I noticed a man following me and I didn’t think anything of it until I noticed he had gotten in front of me and started looking at me as I walked by,” she said.
He had his pants down and his hands were in his you-know-what.
‘I started walking quickly towards people because I thought it was quite suspicious.
“Then I heard him yelling at me to get closer to him, and that’s when I started to panic.
“It was still a little far from my car, so I started running and realized it had disappeared.”
Another woman, Paula, saw the man in April doing “strange things” with his hands in his pants.
Concerned residents welcomed a greater police presence at the lake but said they will not feel safe until CCTV cameras are installed in the park.
Many women are now too afraid to walk alone in the area for fear that the man’s behavior could suddenly worsen.
The Queensland Police Service Facebook page told residents that “good personal safety can be achieved by taking the following steps”.
The man is described as having blonde hair and is often seen wearing a colored t-shirt and shorts.
“Show strong, positive body language to appear confident,” it said.
‘Be aware of your surroundings; listen, trust and act on your instincts. If you sense danger, remove yourself from the situation.
‘When possible, walk in well-lit areas and look toward oncoming traffic; Tell a friend or family member where you are going and an ETA for your return.
“Together we can do our part to ensure our communities are as safe as possible.”
The Queensland Police Service asked anyone with information about the flashing light to contact Policelink on 131 444.
