Police are searching for a man who indecently exposed himself and performed a sex act in public in north London.
Detectives have published an e-fit of a man they wish to identify and speak to in connection with the incident in Wood Green.
The man is alleged to have approached two women and a man in Haringey at around 9pm on Thursday.
He then proceeded to expose himself and perform a sex act in front of them, police said.
The suspect then followed the group for a short amount of time before eventually walking away, according to Scotland Yard. The incident took place at Pellat Grove.
PC Lara Ridolfo, from the Met’s North Area Command, said: “Offences like this one are extremely serious and can have a significant and lasting impact on victims.
“I am grateful that the victims in this case came forward. Reporting crimes of this type is vital in order for us to identify and apprehend offenders.”
Data released by the Met last September showed that the force charged more than 2,000 people with indecent exposure in the decade to 2020.
Freedom of information requests also showed that there were more than 5,000 cases investigated in which no suspect was identified between 2017 and 2021.
Last month, a victim of Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens said that Sarah Everard’s life “could have been saved” if police had acted on reports of him exposing himself in the days and months prior to him kidnapping, raping and murdering the 33-year-old in March 2021.
The police officer targeted women at a drive-through restaurant near his home, where he would order cheeseburgers and then expose himself at the serving window.
The incidents were reported to the Metropolitan Police on 28 February 2021, but Couzens was not arrested and abducted Ms Everard three days later.
Scotland Yard apologised last month for not arresting Couzens – who is already serving a whole-life order for murdering Everard – over those crimes, for which he was sentenced to 19 months in prison.
Those with information are asked to call 101 or tweet @MetCC quoting reference CAD 8272/02Mar. To remain 100 per cent anonymous, call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 080 555 111.
