Shouted-Down Subway Flasher Was Arrested And Charged

Turns out that the perv who was confronted by his victim was also charged by police. Fifty-one-year-old Mario Valdivia was charged with forcible touching, public lewdness and sex abuse. The woman hasn’t been identified, though we’d still love to meet her.

The video is actually from September of this year, but gained steam earlier this week after a tipster sent it in to Hollaback, a pioneer in women using modern technology to fight back against pervs in public space. It appears from the video that the woman pulled the emergency cord, stopping the train, and stood her ground until the conductor came. We’re glad to hear the incident made it to the police at the time.

Since we posted the video, tens of thousands of women have hailed this woman as a hero. It’s not that there’s necessarily one best way to react to these forms of assault — in her case, actual contact being made beyond just “jerkflashing” — and women shouldn’t blame themselves for choosing a different response in the terror of the moment. (Especially since, as we recently learned from their online home Dickflash, these creeps sometimes want a reaction, though probably none of them wants to be arrested).

But it’s clear why this one woman has struck a chord, even if she didn’t choose to be a spokeswoman of any sort. From the “Oh yes. Oh fucking yes,” to the angry hairflip, she says what we all wish we’d said every time some asshole violated our bodily integrity or personal space, whether it was feasible or not. And she’s showed one perpetrator and everyone who finds out about him that there are consequences to that violation.

The fact that she hasn’t been identified yet makes us wonder whether she’s choosing to stay out of the spotlight, which is obviously her prerogative. So if this is all we’ll hear from her, it’ll be plenty, and we’ll just thank her for the righteous catharsis. And, badass friend of Jezebel, if you wouldn’t mind being thanked more directly, email me!

Tables Turned On Alleged NYC Subway Flasher [CBS Local]
Earlier: Subway Flasher Picks The Wrong Woman To Mess With
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