Cop a ‘flasher’
Charged with exposing self to girls in Bronx
THE SEARCH for a flasher accused of exposing himself to two young sisters on their way to a Bible study in the Bronx led police to one of their own, cops said Tuesday.
Police arrested NYPD Officer Adam Fridson, 43, early Tuesday on charges of public lewdness and acting in a manner injurious to a child in the Oct. 4 encounter on E. Tremont Ave. near Bakley Ave. in Schuylerville.
The incident wasn’t the first time Fridson was accused of exposing himself to a child, police sources said. About seven years ago, he did the same thing at a Costco in Westchester, police sources said, but he was not arrested because the child’s mother didn’t want to pursue charges and have her daughter traumatized.
Sources said he may be involved in several similar cases.
In the most recent case, Fridson was seen on surveillance video wearing a “Nightmare Before Christmas” T-shirt as he stepped out of a Subaru and approached the sisters, ages 7 and 12, about 4:10 p.m., cops said. The girls were headed to Bible study at a nearby church, according to Assistant District Attorney Allison Riesel.
“He got out of car, unzipped his fly, took out his penis and approached the two young girls,” Riesel said.
At first, he covered his privates with a jacket, but he pulled it away to flash the girls, according to police.
“Do you know where McDonald’s is?” he asked the sisters, according to a criminal complaint. Fridson then jumped back into his car and sped off, cops said. The girls walked to the church and found their mother, who called 911.
Police released surveillance video Saturday, and detectives received a tip from an offduty cop identifying Fridson as the flasher, according to authorities. Police also connected Fridson to the car.
Internal Affairs Bureau officers arrested Fridson at about 8:45 a.m. Tuesday.
At his arraignment, Fridson wore a black windbreaker, navy pants and was not handcuffed. He was released on $5,000 bond.Fridson’s lawyer, Richard Murray, who declined a psychiatric evaluation for him during the proceeding, wouldn’t comment to reporters afterward.
Fridson joined the department in 2005 and was assigned to the Bronx Housing Bureau until his arrest. He has been stripped of his badge and gun and placed on modified assignment.
During the Westchester incident, Fridson was moonlighting as a Costco security guard when he approached a 9-year-old girl with an apron covering his privates, according to police sources. He was seen on video walking up to the girl, who ran off. She told a police officer at the scene that she had seen his genitals.
When the mom refused to have him arrested, Fridson was brought up on departmental charges. He beat the rap in a 2011 trial after he said the zipper on his pants was broken and his genitals slipped out.