A Lansdale man with a lengthy history of stalking, open lewdness and indecent exposure has been arrested again, after he allegedly introduced himself to a new neighbor, then returned to his porch and began masturbating.
William McGahan, 72, has been charged with misdemeanor counts of indecent exposure and disorderly conduct. He’s currently in custody at the county jail on a parole detainer.
Lansdale Borough Police were dispatched to a home on Jenkins Avenue Wednesday afternoon for a report of a man masturbating in front of a residence. Police said they spoke with a woman who recently moved to the area, who stated McGahan — who lives across the street — went to her home to introduce himself and ask if she wanted to go to his residence to check out his massage chair.
The woman declined and went back inside her home, police said. When the woman went to leave her home a short time later, she saw McGahan standing on his front steps staring at her and masturbating, according to charging documents.
When interviewed by police, McGahan acknowledged that he invited the woman to his home to see his massage chair, but initially denied masturbating on his porch, police said. As the interview continued, McGahan allegedly admitted to something more happening, stating he “could have had a moment of weakness, but that it would not happen again,” according to the criminal complaint.
Court records show McGahan was arrested Wednesday and arraigned Thursday morning by District Judge John Kessler, who set bail at $77, indicating a probation or parole detainer being filed. His next court appearance is a preliminary hearing on Oct. 19 at 10:30 a.m. in front of District Judge Ed Levine.
In June 2018, McGahan was sentenced to 175 days of time served and probation after pleading guilty to an open lewdness charge. Prior to that, McGahan was also convicted on two other occasions of indecent exposure after allegedly masturbating next to his garage and masturbating in a woman’s backyard.
McGahan was also arrested in October 2015 for stalking a woman in Lansdale. Court records show he ultimately received five years’ probation after pleading guilty to the charge in December 2016.
Across all of his cases, McGahan was always sentenced to time served while awaiting resolution and probation, aside from an additional 10 months in jail for a probation violation in 2018. Though multiple sentencing documents state McGahan undergo a psychosexual evaluation and sex offender supervision, there is no record that he was required to register as a sex offender in Pennsylvania.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using court records and the affidavit of probable cause. This story was updated to reflect the child's current custody status.
See also:
Lansdale Man Arrested Following Confrontation with Vigilante Sex Predator Group
Man Took Sexual Images of Himself at Public Park While Adults, Children Were in View, Police Say
Montco Man Accused of Killing Cat During Domestic Incident in Whitpain Township
Father Shot Attempting to Rescue Daughter from Assault in Lower Gwynedd
