San Francisco man faces multiple exposure and molesting charges for stalking middle-school girls
The San Francisco District Attorney on Thursday announced that a suspect has been charged with multiple counts of indecent exposure, stalking and annoying or molesting a child in connection with several incidents in the city's Castro District.
According to the press release issued by the office of SF District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, 35-year-old San Francisco resident Michael Watson was arraigned Thursday afternoon at the Hall of Justice. He was charged with three counts of indecent exposure with a prior conviction, three counts of annoying or molesting a child and two counts of stalking due to the incidents that took place in the Castro last month.
The release said that Watson, one of a number of individuals who regularly visits the Castro District naked, actively stalking two middle-school girls and their friends when they frequented a boba tea shop in the neighborhood. In addition to allegedly staring at the girls while they were at the shop and committing lewd acts in public, Watson is also accused of following the girls to Dolores Park on two occasions.
He was arrested by San Francisco Police on Tuesday on the 900 block of Folsom Street and taken into custody without incident, authorities said.
"Keeping children and vulnerable community members safe is central to everything that we do in my office," Jenkins was quoted as saying in the release. "My office takes crimes like this seriously and will do everything we can to ensure that there is accountability and that there are consequences. The alleged conduct in this case is appalling and completely unacceptable."
Jenkins's office is moving to have Watson detained without bail pending trial because of the public safety risk he poses.
While charges have been filed against Watson, the case remains under active investigation. Multiple victims have already been identified, but police are asking anyone who believes they have been victimized by the suspect to contact the SFPD Special Victim's Unit at 415-553-9225.
Individuals can also call the San Francisco Police Department Tip Line at 1-415-575-4444 or Text a Tip to TIP411 and begin the text message with SFPD. Tipsters can remain anonymous.