After call to help find T ‘deviant,’ MBTA police make an arrest

MBTA Transit Police have arrested and charged a Cambridge man they branded a “deviant” after he allegedly masturbated on a Red Line train outside Harvard Square.

Robert McCarty, 49, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to one count of open and gross lewdness — a felony punishable by up to three years in prison, or two years in jail. 

He was ordered held at the Middlesex Jail in lieu of posting $500 cash bail, court records show. Boston.com has contacted his attorney for comment.

According to a Transit Police report filed in court, a woman told police the incident occurred after she boarded a Red Line train toward Alewife around 6:30 p.m. on Sunday. She alleged a male rider — later identified as McCarty — moved to the seat diagonally across from her and began masturbating while staring at her. 

The woman took a graphic photo of McCarty purportedly in the act and reported it via the MBTA See Say app, switching to another train car at Harvard Station. 

Transit Police circulated a censored version of the photo and allegedly received several tips identifying the man as McCarty, according to the police report. Investigators then compared images of McCarty from the Massachusetts RMV, previous booking photos, and the sex offender registry, the court document states.

McCarty’s state sex offender registry records indicate a history of convictions for open and gross lewdness and lascivious behavior. He was arrested Monday evening and taken to Transit Police headquarters, police said.

Abby Patkin

Staff Writer

Abby Patkin is a general assignment news reporter whose work touches on public transit, crime, health, and everything in between.

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