SEATTLE — Nearly a year after King County Metro launched its "Report It To Stop It" campaign, KIRO 7 has learned of two sexually motivated assaults on King County Metro buses in the past 10 days.
According to King County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Ryan Abbott, reports of sexual assaults on board Metro buses have tripled since Report It To Stop It debuted in April 2018.
The program "is doing exactly what Metro was hoping it would do, and what police were hoping it would do, and that is, not only gain awareness, but to get people to call 911" Abbott said Thursday.
Two recent cases were immediately reported. In both cases, the suspects were arrested, booked into jail and charged.
On March 12, 38-year old Bacarey Javann Matchett allegedly exposed himself -- in broad daylight --- to a 17-year old girl on board a Route #128 bus.
“It caused alarm. It caused fear,” Abbott told KIRO 7.
He also said the 17-year-old female passenger “did the right thing by reporting it right away.”
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Matchett was charged with felony indecent exposure because he has a history of such behavior.
In 2017, the Georgia man was convicted of a similar incident on board Sound Transit Light Rail and has 18 other recent convictions in Washington state for public indecency, theft and criminal trespass, according to court documents.
Matchett remains behind bars in lieu of $50,000 bond.
In an unrelated case, court documents reveal another man struck and sexually assaulted a female passenger seated in the back of a Metro E Line coach as it traveled along Aurora Avenue North near Lynn Street earlier this week.
The suspect, identified in police reports as 57-year-old Reginald Devaughn Smith, of Seattle, “then made a comment, telling her to take off her clothes,” Abbott said.
Smith is now charged with fourth-degree assault.
He was released from jail on personal recognizance
Cox Media Group
