Oak Forest Man, 76, Fondled Teen on CTA: Prosecutor

A 76-year-old man accused of fondling a minor on Chicago public transit says the charges are all "lies."

An indignant William Papagianis appeared in court on Tuesday, according to Sun-Times Media reports.

Prosecutors allege that on Jan. 8, a 15-year-old girl was standing up on the CTA Orange Line, when she felt someone touching her over her school uniform pants, according to the report.  

Seconds later, the fingers moved to her buttocks. She then turned and saw Papagianis behind her, according to Assistant State’s Attorney Joell Zahr. The girl then pushed the older man. The girls deboarded at the next stop, and told police. Papagianis was captured on camera, prosecutors stated. 

The girl and her sister identified Papagianis when he was arrested for a similar incident this week, according to the report. 

In the separate pending misdemeanor case, Papagianis allegedly masturbated in front of a 17-year-old girl as he sat across from her on the Orange Line.

Panarese ordered Papagianis held in lieu of $1 million bail for an aggravated sexual abuse charge related to the Jan. 8 incident. He was also arrested in 2007 for grabbing a woman’s knee and masturbating in front of her at Midway Airport, according to the report. 

In 2008, Papagianis was arrested for masturbating in front of a CVS employee.

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