Manchester police: Windsor man groped another man on nature trail

Police recently arrested a Windsor man on charges that he groped another man on the Laurel Marsh walking trail, the scene of similar allegations and arrests over the past several years.

Karl Profe, 70, of 22 Merriman Road, faces charges of fourth-degree sexual assault and second-degree breach of peace.

Police were dispatched to the town-owned trail off West Middle Turnpike on Sept. 4 at 12:30 p.m. to check on an indecent exposure complaint. A man told officers he was on a trail bridge when an older man wearing tight boxer shorts and a fishnet shirt approached him, a police report released Wednesday said.

The older man, later identified as Profe, had one hand down his shorts and appeared to be masturbating, police said the victim told them. The younger man said Profe walked up and grabbed the victim’s genitals over his clothing, the report said.

Over the past several years, police have responded to sporadic complaints about indecent exposure and sexual assaults on the trail. Undercover officers have walked the trail to nab suspects who openly masturbate or try to grope people walking on the path by the Hockanum River. Last year, police said an East Hartford man tried to stab another man who rejected his sexual advances on the trail.

The recent incident, however, was the first arrest this year on the trail on indecent exposure or sexual assault charges, police spokesman Lt. Ryan Shea said. In February, a detective questioned two men suspected of having sex in a car in the trail parking lot, but no arrests were made, Shea said.

The man who complained last week showed police a video of him confronting Profe after the incident.

“Profe seemed very uncomfortable in the video and apologized a few times in it,” the police report says.

In an interview at police headquarters, however, Profe denied grabbing anyone, police said. He said he had “two significant college degrees and this incident would probably ruin his life,” the report said.

Profe was released without having to post bail and is to appear in Manchester Superior Court on Tuesday.

Jesse Leavenworth can be reached at jleavenworth@courant.com