RCMP ask for help identifying 2 men connected to indecent acts on P.E.I.'s North Shore

Police in Prince Edward Island are asking for the public's help identifying two men involved in separate incidents of indecent acts that were reported in Cavendish and North Rustico.

Cpl. Gavin Moore, the P.E.I. RCMP's media relations officer, said it's unusual to see two such incidents so close together in both time and location.

"These are offences that are infrequent in RCMP jurisdiction. We don't see a lot of these reported in the run of a year, but they are serious, and we take these investigations very seriously," Moore told CBC News.

RCMP officers responded to the first report inside P.E.I. National Park in Cavendish on June 4. 

According to a news release, a cyclist reported seeing a man committing an indecent act inside a white, family-style van parked along the Gulf Shore Parkway at around 3 p.m. The vehicle's side door was open when the incident occurred.

The man in this case was described as heavier set, with a reddish-grey beard, and wearing a blue shirt.

A week later, on June 11, a man was seen committing an indecent act near a trail behind several homes on Autumn Lane in North Rustico between noon and 12:20 p.m., police said in the release.

A witness told police the man was on the back side of a neighbouring property next to the trail.

The suspect is described as thin and about 172 cm tall, and was wearing a blue shirt, dark hat and light blue beach shorts.

Police do not believe he is the same person involved in the Cavendish incident. 

Queens District RCMP is asking anyone who recognizes the individuals or has information about either incident to contact them at 902-368-9300. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through P.E.I. Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or online at www.peicrimestoppers.ca.

These incidents come amid growing concerns about sexual offences on the Island. During a recent sentencing hearing involving an unrelated voyeurism case, a Crown prosecutor told the court that those types of offences have been on the rise on P.E.I. over the past 18 months.