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On CTA Orange Line, Man, 76, Inappropriately Touched Teen: Prosecutors

By  Erin Meyer and Quinn Ford | January 29, 2013 6:10pm 

 William Papagianis is accused of lewd acts on the CTA.
William Papagianis is accused of lewd acts on the CTA.
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Police

COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — An Oak Forest senior touched a teen girl's bottom and masturbated in front of another on the CTA Orange Line in two separate incidents this month, prosecutors said.

But 76-year-old William Papagianis, 76, called the allegations lies Tuesday when he appeared in Cook County Bond Court.

According to Assistant States Attorney Joell Zahr, a 15-year-old girl was riding the Orange Line Jan. 8 with her older sister when she felt "fingers touching over her school uniform pants."

She felt fingers twice more on her bottom before she spun around and allegedly saw Papagianis standing behind her.

The girl shoved the man and yelled at him to stop touching her. Then, the teen and her sister got off the train together and told police what happened.

On Monday, Papagianis was arrested for masturbating in front of another teen on the Orange Line.

In that incident, a 17-year-old girl was sitting across from Papagianis on a northbound train when he allegedly exposed himself, according to prosecutors and court records. He then started masturbating and made hissing noises to "grab" the victim's attention, prosecutors said.

The teen pressed the emergency assistance button as the train was approaching the Roosevelt Station.

Papagianis allegedly exited the train there and fled, but a good samaritan chased and detained him until police arrived.

The 15-year-old victim in the first incident and her sister picked Papagianis out of a lineup on Monday.

He is charged with aggravated criminal sexual abuse in that case. In the second case, Papagianis faces misdemeanor charges.

Cook County Judge Donald Panarese, Jr. ordered him held on $1 million bond.

Papagianis was also arrested in 2007 at Midway Airport for masturbating in public and again in 2008 for masturbating in front of a CVS employee, prosecutors said. Both of those cases were dismissed.