Police say they have arrested the so-called “Swiss Cheese Pervert,” the man accused of using Swiss cheese to sexually proposition women in the Philadelphia area.
Christopher Pagano was arrested at his home on Noble Street in Norristown on Thursday afternoon as part of a joint investigation between Philadelphia and Norristown Police, officials tell NBC10 Philadelphia.
The 41-year-old has allegedly been spotted driving up to women and asking them if they would like to get paid to see him put Swiss cheese on his genitals.
"He was a weirdo," neighbor Rae Dean told NBC10's Deanna Durante. "He used to come outside in his underwear with no shirt.
Pagano was arrested around noon on suspicion that he is the man caught on camera holding up a piece of cheese while wearing no pants, officials said.
Thursday night police confirmed that Pagano was charged with stalking and harassment as well as open lewdness.
One woman who said she was approached by the suspect talked publicly about her experience.
"He told me he liked to put Swiss cheese on his private area," said Priscilla, who asked that her last name be kept anonymous.
The woman said she was sitting at a light along busy Henry Avenue near Philadelphia University in the East Falls section of the city in early December when the man allegedly propositioned her.
Recording part of the incident with her smartphone, you can hear her asking the man "Why do you have Swiss cheese in your car?" She also snapped a picture of the alleged suspect -- holding up the cheese, just like in other pictures captured of him.
Priscilla, who was driving in the car with her cousins, said she thought it was a joke at first, but when they reached another light at Fox Street, the man allegedly had his pants down. Upset by the sight, she quickly drove off.
"Now I'm freaked out because I know it wasn't just a joke," she told NBC10 on Monday night.
The woman is the latest victim to come forward and detail the alleged indecent exposure by the man. Investigators say the suspect also exposed himself to other women while offering them money to watch him put Swiss cheese on his privates in several neighborhoods in Philadelphia and Montgomery County. Neighborhoods include Port Richmond, Norristown, Mayfair and now East Falls.
The suspect was described as a heavy-set male between the ages of 40 and 50 with a goatee. Police also say he was driving a newer model silver sedan but was also been spotted in a black colored sedan.
Last Thursday, the Mayfair Town Watch posted a photo of the suspect on their Facebook page.
"Some people think this is a joke," said Milt Martelack of the Mayfair Town Watch. "But it's no laughing matter."
Martelack and the town watch are conducting their own investigation and working with police. He said they've spoken to several victims.
"This is not just a Mayfair thing," Martelack said. "This gentleman has been all over the place doing this and I'd characterize his acts as very disturbing."
Priscilla agrees.
"What if he said that to a minor?" she asked. "I think he should be taken off the streets and I think they need to take it a little more seriously."
Photo Credit: Mayfair Town Watch