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Woman Sexually Abused In Manhattan Phone Booth, Police Say

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police are searching for a suspect after a woman was sexually abused in a Manhattan phone booth earlier this week.

According to police, the 22-year-old victim was on 39th Street and Lexington Avenue at around 1:35 a.m. on Sept. 11 when she asked the suspect for directions to Penn Station.

Instead of giving her directions, the suspect led the woman to West 15th Street, where he pushed her inside a double phone booth and sexually assaulted her, police said.

"It's a sad world we live in where you can't trust anyone anymore. It looks like some young guy on the street, he looks harmless, but that doesn't mean anything anymore unfortunately," one pedestrian said.

The suspect then fled in an unknown direction. No injuries were reported, but the woman was taken to Bellevue Hospital for evaluation, police said.

As TV 10/55's Jessica Moore reported, surveillance video shows the woman unknowingly walking towards the moment she was assaulted.

On Wednesday, the search was on for the man who turned out to be nothing like the harmless, friendly stranger he appeared to be.

The NYPD says the suspect has  a light complexion, dark hair, and was last seen wearing a red American Eagle T-shirt, jeans and white Converse sneakers.

Surveillance video of the suspect can be viewed above.

Police are asking anyone with information on the incident to contact Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS, logging on to their website at www.NYPDCrimeStoppers.com, or by texting their tips to CRIMES (274637.) Tips can remain anonymous.

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