According to authorities witness Jasheem Smiley took video of the suspect as he allegedly assaulted the woman, who was sleeping, on the 42nd Street and Lexington Ave. 4 line early in the morning on October 20th.
Eyewitness News cannot show the entire frame of video, the act it shows is just too vile.
The man's left hand is beneath a young woman's skirt, a woman he doesn't know and who was asleep when he boarded the train.
He appears to be sexually assaulting her.
"He just looked suspicious from the jump," said Jasheem Smiley, eyewitness.
Taking video of all this on his cell phone is 21-year-old Jasheem Smiley, one of several men on the train.
"Immediately he started fondling her," Smiley said.
Even at 3:30 in the morning, there were a number of people on the train at that hour. Still, none of them, not even the young man who was shooting the video, none of them physically stepped in to stop it.
"I kept telling him this is wrong, I wasn't the only one, there was a guy next to me too saying that, that this is wrong and you know that you can get locked up for it, but like I said, he was focused on what he was doing," Smiley said.
"It's extremely upsetting," one woman said.
The public assault lasted at least two minutes, Smiley says. Most people say they would have stepped in.
"To me I would have immediately stepped in and stopped it, I want to believe that most people would," a man said.
Police are hoping someone will recognize the man in the video and, horrified as anyone is who has seen the video, will call them.
Smiley too, thinks this guy shouldn't be on the streets.
"People can do vile things but that was just beyond," Smiley said.
The woman apparently eventually woke up and slugged the suspect in the face. He got away though.
The suspect is described as a Hispanic man in his 30's.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-8477. The public can also submit their tips by logging onto Crime Stoppers' website at www.nypdcrimestoppers.com or by texting their tips to CRIMES (274637), then enter TIP577.
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