Nov 25, 2009 1:23 pm US/Pacific
Phony Photographer Suspected In 2 Sexual Assaults
LOS ANGELES (CBS) ―
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Authorities are looking for Keith Nichols, who is accused of posing as a magazine photographer to sexually assault women.
CBS
The Los Angeles Police Department Wednesday identified a 22-year-old South Los Angeles man who is accused of posing as a Vibe Magazine photographer and sexually assaulting young women.
"Keith Nichols is not a photographer," Capt. Blake Chow stated. "All young women, especially those riding local trains, need to know Nichols is a fraud and potentially dangerous."
In two cases under investigation, Nichols began talking to two women on the Metro Blue Line and each referred him to a roommate, he said.
The women told police they met Nichols and agreed to let him "measure" their most intimate body parts for "custom-fitted underwear," Chow said.
Nichols told the women if their measurements were right, they could get a modeling job for Vibe Magazine, Chow said.
The women, however, realized they had "been duped when Nichols never returned phone calls," he said.
"The 'measuring' sessions often occurred spontaneously in secluded, public places, where Nichols used a measuring tape as a prop," Chow said.
"While none of the woman recalled him taking photographs, Nichols did touch the women's bare breasts and groins with his hands."
"These crimes amount only to a misdemeanor at this point, but the potential for a more serious crime is there," Chow said.
"We don't know how many women Nichols has approached, how many have submitted, or if he has committed more serious crimes," Chow said. "Our goal today is to educate, warn, and stop this activity before it becomes more aggravated."
"The lure of Hollywood and a big career in modeling blinded these girls from reality," Chow said. "That's what con artists rely on."
Nichols, who may be working as a security guard, has lived in Compton, Hawthorne and South Los Angeles. He is black, with black hair and brown eyes, 5 feet 11 inches and about 140 pounds.
Police urged anyone with more information about him to call detectives at (213) 972-1235 during normal office hours, or (877) LAPD-24-7 around the clock.
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)
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