A West Philadelphia man has been charged with several sexual assault offenses that occurred in South Philly.
Capt. Margo Alleyne-Parker, commanding officer of the Police Department’s Special Victims Unit, announced eight counts of indecent assault and harassment against Dequan Jacobs, 35, of the unit block of N. 56th Street, for offenses he allegedly committed on Aug. 6 and 7.
According to police, Jacobs committed at least four crimes that involved grabbing women in South Philly in several different neighborhoods during that time. He was arrested on the 2500 block of Reed Street on Aug. 8.
According to the charges, Jacobs was riding a bicycle near 1700 S. Broad St. at about 5 p.m. on Aug. 6 and rode up behind a woman and grabbed a woman’s buttocks before riding away on the bike.
At 6:20 p.m., police were notified that a man riding a bike rode past a woman on the 1900 block of E. Passyunk Avenue and groped her from behind under her dress before riding away.
Later that night, at 10:25, another woman told police she was grabbed from behind while walking near 1701 S. Broad St.
On Aug. 7, a woman was sexually assaulted in Point Breeze while walking on the 1400 block of S. 22nd Street, police said. According to police, Jacobs grabbed her from behind and continued riding southbound on 22nd Street.
Police were able to match Jacobs to other sexual assault charges in Rittenhouse and University City that occurred on the 2100 block of Pine Street, as well as the 2300 and 2900 blocks of Walnut Street. Each report involved similar instances of a suspect grabbing women while riding a bicycle, police said.
