Parents are clutching their children a little closer on the Upper West Side this week, after two men were recently spotted masturbating outside a pair of schools.
Administrators at the Central Park Montessori, a preschool and nursery school program on West 91st Street, sent a note to parents Wednesday about the disturbing incident that unfolded at the previous day’s dismissal.
A parent noticed a man across the street from the school masturbating, and managed to get a photo of creep, the note said.
Police were called, but the suspect was long gone by the time they arrived, one distressed mother, who asked to remain anonymous, told The Post.
“People are sick,” said one father, who also didn’t want to be named.
“I’m just glad we know what he looks like.”
An NYPD spokesperson confirmed they received a public lewdness report Tuesday about “an individual [who] was observed opposite 1 West 91 Street exposing and manipulating his genitalia.”
Police are investigating and stepping up patrols around the school, particularly at dismissal time, they said.
“I’m feeling a mix of emotions,” the mother explained.
“I’m so thankful a parent captured his image so clearly and that they reported it to the school. I’m also really impressed with the school’s response. I do feel a responsibility to do more.”
The parent said she intended to push the NYPD to find the masturbator.
“I think it’s my job to keep this on top of their priority list and ensure this man is caught and behind bars,” she said.
The same day, a man was also spotted pleasuring himself across the street from P.S. 075 Emily Dickinson School on West End Avenue on Tuesday, next to a sign about a kindergarten registration event, according to a parent who caught the man on camera before he left the area.
It was unclear if the same person is behind both incidents.
An NYPD spokesperson said there were no reports of the West End Avenue incident on file.
