A New Jersey man has been arrested for allegedly following girls around and making lewd comments in various stores, such as Target, T.J. Maxx, and Walmart.
Whiting, New Jersey, resident David F. Hohsfield, 62, was arrested and charged with several counts of harassment after witnesses and victims said he followed women and girls around several stores. Witnesses say that while pretending to talk on his cell phone, the suspect snuck up behind them and made sexually explicit comments, according to NJ Advance Media.
Several women said Hohsfield crept up behind them in the girl’s swimsuit section of both Walmart and Target and verbally harassed them. Women at both stores alerted store security, but Hohsfield reportedly left the store before officials could act.
Store surveillance video was reviewed, and Hohsfield was identified, police said.
Hohsfield has a long history of convictions for sex-related crimes. He is a tier three registered sex offender and was arrested three times between 1997 and 2009. He was also charged with sexual assault in 1997 and endangering a child in 2002 and 2009.
One victim took to Facebook to report such an incident, saying:
He kept following us around the store until my mom decided to see where he is going. Then we seem [sic] him walking up to another little girl and distracted mom in the women’s section. We warned the mom and manager, and she said he was there the other day and kept getting complaints on him and he apparently got kicked out last time he was hiding near the bathrooms and as we left he started walking back to the kids section!
Howell Police Department is asking the public if they are aware of any other incidents. Police have asked anyone with information to call Howell Police headquarters at 732-938-4111 or email Detective Sgt. Christian Antunez at cantunez@howellpolice.org or Detective Janet Benitez at jbenitez@howellpolice.org.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.
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