Clear Lake-area women warn about man asking others for feet pics in public

CLEAR LAKE, Texas (KTRK) -- Women in the Clear Lake area are warning others about a man who is approaching them in public places and asking for pictures of their feet.

It appears the man has been going around to different stores and offices with the same request.

Haley Peterson told ABC13 that the man told her he was a podiatry student at San Jacinto College and wanted to take pictures of her feet for an assignment. San Jacinto College says they have no such podiatry program.

Still, Peterson refused. Instead, she went live on Facebook and alerted two police officers who happened to be in the store. They tried to chase him down and Haley caught some of it on her recording.

"It was creepy - 100% creepy. And I was just freaked out," she said.

But she's not the only one and he's been doing this for a while.

Marisa Lillywhite said that in 2021, he approached her at the Walmart on the Gulf Freeway and El Dorado with the same story about being a podiatry student.

"He was trying to do an assignment for his professor and needed 20 pictures of the bottom of feet and I looked at him crazy," Lillywhite said "He said, 'All you have to do is go around and put your foot up and I want the back of your foot for a photo' and I said, 'No, I'm gone,' and I left."

Law enforcement confirmed the man has approached several women, mostly young moms, in the Kemah, Clear Lake and League City areas.

Harris County Precinct 8 Constable Phil Sandlin's Office told ABC13 deputies gave the man a warning for criminal trespassing at a business in a strip center in the 1600 block of Clear Lake City Blvd last week, after reports he went into offices asking for foot photos. The request alone is not a crime.

Lillywhite says that's not enough.

"It is frustrating. I feel more should be done, but what can be done? Except for us women, we need to be more vocal and say no. This is not OK," she said. "Be smart. Be very cautious of what's around you, and who's around you."

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