Man Masturbates On Porch After Meeting New Montco Neighbor: Police

LANSDALE, PA — A Montgomery County man is facing criminal charges after it is alleged that he began masturbating on his porch after he just got done introducing himself to his new next-door neighbor.

William McGahan, 72, of Lansdale, was arrested and charged by Lansdale Police last week with misdemeanor counts of indecent exposure and disorderly conduct.

Records from Magisterial District Court show McGahan was arrested on Sept. 21 and arraigned the following day before District Judge John D. Kessler.

Bail was set at $77 — which signals the issuance of a probation or parole detainer — and McGahan was sent to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility, according to the criminal docket sheet in the case.

Court records show that the Montgomery County Public Defender's Office will be representing McGahan.

Patch spoke with a representative of the MCPD who said that McGahan has not yet been assigned a public defender, but that a lawyer in his case would likely soon be assigned.

A report on NorthPennNow says that police were called out after the new female neighbor stated that McGahan walked across the street to welcome the woman to the neighborhood and then asked if she wanted to come back to his home to take a look at a massage chair he had recently obtained.

The victim claims that McGahan then went back to his porch where he began pleasuring himself outside in plain view of others, the report says.

Patch reviewed police charging documents, which show that Lansdale officers responded to the 100 block of Jenkins Avenue on Sept. 21 at a little before 4 in the afternoon for a report of suspicious activity.

The female caller had stated that she just moved to the area when she was approached by the defendant who introduced himself and asked if she wanted to check out his massage chair across the street, but that she declined.

The victim said she went into her home but emerged a short time later and witnessed McGahan masturbating on the porch, according to the criminal complaint.

In the complaint, Officer Matthew Steven Erbele wrote that he was familiar with McGahan from prior arrests, and that McGahan initially stated nothing had happened after he retreated back to his home.

"After I spoke with him further, William admitted he 'could of' had a moment of weakness, but that it would not happen again," the complaint reads. "It is my professional opinion that William McGahan did expose his genitals in a place where other persons are present under circumstances in which he knows or should know that his conduct is likely to offend, affront or alarm. William's actions did create a hazardous or physically offensive condition which served no legitimate purpose."

Court records and media reports show that McGahan has a criminal history for similar conduct, including convictions and guilty pleas for open lewdness and indecent exposure stemming from other cases.

Patch reported on one of McGahan's previous criminal cases back in 2016.

Related: Lansdale Man Allegedly Masturbates In Public — Again, Report Says

In the latest case, a preliminary hearing had originally been scheduled for Oct. 5 but the proceeding has since been pushed to Oct. 19, according to court records.