GUILDERLAND — After arresting a man at Crossgates Mall for touching a woman’s buttocks, Guilderland Police are asking anyone who has witnessed such behavior at the mall, or been a victim of it, to call the police department.

Kharan W. Frison was arrested on Sept. 10 for touching a woman’s buttocks in

J. C. Penney; there have been similar incidents in the past, and the Guilderland Police are investigating possible connections.

 Frison was arrested for third-degree sexual abuse after a J. C. Penney loss prevention officer observed him touching a female’s buttocks in the store, according to a release from the Guilderland Police.

Investigator Thomas Funk said third-degree sexual abuse is defined as sexual contact with the victim’s intimate parts, without the victim’s consent. Third-degree sexual abuse is a class B misdemeanor, and Funk said Frison could face up to a year in prison.

Frison was arraigned by Judge John Bailey in Guilderland Town Court on Sept. 10 and released under supervision of probation while the case is still under investigation, and he has been ordered to stay away from Crossgates Mall, said Funk.

There have been several similar reports from Crossgates Mall, as well as Colonie Center, all involving the same behavior — non-consensual touching of female buttocks, said Funk.

Although there is no evidence that all of the incidents are related, the Guilderland Police Department is encouraging anyone who feels she may have been a victim, or a witness, of this behavior, to call 356-1501.

— Anne Hayden