Police: Man accused of flashing near IU campus is out on bail for same crime

Brandon Whitacre

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WTHR) - Police have arrested a serial flasher in Bloomington - again.

Brandon Whitacre, 38, was arrested for an incident last weekend near the Indiana University campus. Police say Whitacre chased down a group of young women and exposed himself to them.

"It was pretty bizarre because it happened in the morning. And, I mean, you hear about crazy things like that happening Bloomington," said Elise Miles.

One of Miles' friends was among those allegedly flashed by Whitacre.

"He came up and they, obviously, started to go away, run away, and he chased after them for a little bit," Honestly, I would've been terrified. Scary things are happening all the time, but I have a friend that it happened to and things like that...it's definitely very uneasy."

The women were able to get a good description of the flasher and officers caught him pretty quickly. When police matched up names, it turned out Whitacre's no stranger to this crime. He was arrested in February and charged with indecent exposure on the Monon Trail in Indianapolis.

Monday, Bloomington police confirmed it's the same suspect, now free on bond, still awaiting trial in the Indianapolis case.

"I think it's definitely worrisome, especially being a female who goes here to IU," said student Carmen Carigan.

In this town, Carigan says, the campus and the community lines are blurred. One flows into the other.

Carigan calls it "not frustrating, but worrisome, when you hear about criminals who come from the Chicago area or Indy or major metropolises, come down here."

"Being here we just know that things happen and you just have to be alert, watchful of that kind of stuff," said student Breanna Last.

Carigan says she's thinking about the psychology of the serial flasher.

"I think it's definitely someone who likes maybe adrenaline or having the captive audience of a crowd," Carigan said. "When I think of flashing, I think of something that embarrasses the viewer. Both. It's something you don't want to talk about that you've seen. Something really undesirable."

"I think it's intimidation. Intimidation, not so much control. They want the attention," Last said.

"Being a female, it's different. You really have to watch out for stuff like that," said Amanda Keene.