Serial Masturbator Suspect Waives Charges

Gerald Boyce Jr., of the 600 block of Wissahickon Avenue, Lansdale, on Thursday afternoon waived all charges against him during a preliminary hearing before to arraignment at the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas in July.

Boyce will be arraigned in county court on July 18 at 9:30 a.m.

Boyce is a suspect in five public masturbation incidents wherein eight of the 10 victims were underage.

Boyce, 40, the father of an 8-year-old daughter, is suspected of being the serial masturbator that has been targeting teenage girls and women in and around Lansdale train station since June 2011, according to police.

The number of counts for certain charges against him were reduced at the hearing by Assistant District Attorney Abby Silverman of the county Sex Crimes Unit.

"The counts originally filed, with regard to indecent exposure, were filed per victim when they have to be filed per incident," Silverman said. "The charges have not been dropped."

Boyce's attorney, Patrick Lyons, was late to the hearing, delaying it by about a half hour.

Boyce was originally charged with 29 misdemeanor counts and one summary count: six counts of first-degree indecent exposure, four counts of second-degree indecent exposure, eight counts of corruption of minors, six counts of open lewdness and six counts of summary disorderly conduct, according to a court affidavit.

Following the hearing, Boyce is charged with:

• 3 counts of first-degree indecent exposure
• 2 counts of second-degree indecent exposure
• 8 counts of corruption of minors
• 5 counts of open lewdness
• 5 counts of disorderly conduct

Bail was set at $100,000 cash at his preliminary arraignment May 15. A surety bond in that amount was posted May 16, according to court records. This means Boyce is free on bail.

Boyce cannot have contact with the victims as a condition of his bail.

Boyce appeared in court wearing a gray hat and driving his black Ford F-150 pickup truck with a tan stripe.

Police said Boyce matches the description and a sketch given by victims on five different occasions.

Boyce was nabbed outside a black 2009 Ford F-150 extended cab pickup truck with a tan stripe in the rear lot of Lansdale train station, the same description vehicle given by victims to police in prior incidents. He was caught by plainclothes Officer Patrick McKernan on May 14.

While being interviewed by Detective Adrienne Duffy on May 14, Boyce did not deny involvement in the incidents. 

He told Duffy he could not talk to her about what he had done because he would lose custody of his daughter, according to the court affidavit.

Boyce also asked if he would be placed on the Pennsylvania Megan's Law.

"None of those girls were underage, were they?" Boyce asked Duffy, according to court records.

Five members of Bikers Against Child Abuse Montgomery County were in the courtroom to support the victims in the case.

"We came out here to support the victims and let the community know we're always here for them," said BACA member Ron Gallagher. "It's sad that this never stops. People need help before it gets this far."

BACA member John "Inky" White said he's glad the police did their job and caught Boyce.

"I'm happy they got this guy before anything did happen," said John "Inky" White of BACA Montgomery County. "He kept stepping it up, and stepping it up. We don't know what his true intentions were. Now, he's going to be watched and monitored."

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