PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office arrested two men for separate incidents on the canal path in Pittsford.
One man was arrested for harassing people, while another was arrested for exposing himself to teenage girls on a nearby trail.
Victim tells her story
J. Morgan Levy, a victim of harassment, shared her experience with News10NBC’s Chief Investigative Reporter Berkeley Brean. Levy was on a routine run when she says a man approached her.
“I took my ear bud out and he said, ‘Do you have any water?’ And I turned to say, ‘No I don’t,’ and realized that he had his entire private area exposed,” Levy said.
Levy said she screamed at the man to get away and continued running, but he caught up with her again.
“He told me that he had to take his genitals out because I was so beautiful and he always wanted to sleep with a runner,” Levy said. “And he was sorry, but he had to do it.”
Levy considered jumping into the canal to escape. She called 911 and filed a police report a week later. She described the man as a light-skinned Black man, about 6 feet tall with long hair, and between 20 to 30 years old.
In July, the sheriff’s office arrested Oleksandr Levytskyy for harassing people on the canal. In April, Aaron Hinds was arrested for exposing himself to teenage girls on a trail near the Pittsford Wegmans.
RELATED: Man arrested after being accused of harassing and following person along canal path
Levy confirmed that Levytskyy was not the man who harassed her, which she found concerning.
“I think it demonstrates how important it is that they start patrolling this area,” Levy said.
Levy says she wants increased patrols on the canal to prevent others from the same experience.
“I’d like there to be patrol officers who are riding bikes down the canal,” Levy said. “I’d like them to do something to catch these people so instead of just warning us that we need to be careful so we don’t get harassed or stalked or raped.”
Levytskyy was released, as harassment doesn’t qualify for bail. He must call into a supervisor weekly, stay away from his victim, and undergo a mental health exam. However, there aren’t any restrictions preventing him from returning to the canal.
Levy, who is a lawyer representing victims of sexual harassment and assault, now finds herself on the other side of the situation. She told Berkeley she won’t be running on the canal as much, and that to was unsettling for her to even be there for an interview.
Law enforcement’s response
In response to Levy’s story and the arrest of Levytskyy, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office is launching a special detail to patrol the canal.
News10NBC’s Chris Fortune spoke with the captain of the East Side Zone, who says patrols will increase, with different officers in the area at different times of the day. The captain also said the detail will include a UTV in the area to help expand patrols.
The Special Operations Unit has various non-traditional vehicles to help with details like these such as four-wheelers and snowmobiles for snowy months.
If you encounter any type of harassment or danger on the canal, deputies stress the importance of calling them first.
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