Police have finally captured the real “Gentleman Groper,” law-enforcement sources insist to The Post.
The arrest of Paul Kraft, 31, marks the NYPD’s second bust in the case, following the arrest of innocent Bible-study leader Karl Vanderwoude earlier this year. Kraft, who is clean-cut, well-groomed and dresses well, was picked up Tuesday.
“We did lineups with all five victims and four of them positively [identified] him,” a law-enforcement source said.
“He’s a dead ringer for the man on the video. It’s him. His MetroCard places him at the crime scenes.”
Vanderwoude insisted throughout his ordeal that he was innocent. After work surveillance video and e-mails showed he couldn’t have been the so-called “Gentleman Groper,” charges were dropped.
Kraft has been charged with five counts of forcible touching and five counts of sexual abuse. He was also hit with one count of unlawful surveillance.
Kraft’s lawyer did not return messages all weekend. The suspect is free on $5,000 bond.
In the latest attack, on March 30, the groper followed a woman into a downtown subway station, touched her and used his cellphone video camera to take shots under her clothes.