CAMBRIDGE — A Red Line wanking pervert accused of committing a grotesque lewd act on a crowded subway train was arrested after a Mass Daily News reader flagged a tip on X, following an initial MDN report on the case — only for a Cambridge judge to set bail at just $500 for a repeat Level 3 sex offender with a long history of similar crimes.

The case began on December 29, when Mass Daily News published the initial article after MBTA Transit Police released a photo of a man accused of deliberately sitting across from a woman on a Red Line train near Harvard Square and performing a lewd act while staring at her. Police asked the public for help identifying the suspect as the image spread online.

In the replies to the police post on X — after MDN’s article circulated — a tipster tagged Mass Daily News and pointed investigators toward publicly available information that appeared relevant to the suspect’s identity. Rather than publish or speculate, MDN flagged the comment directly to MBTA Transit Police detectives, who acknowledged receiving the tip as the investigation continued.

The very same day, Transit Police arrested Robert Edward McCarty, 49, of Cambridge, charging him with felony open and gross lewdness in connection with the Red Line incident. Court records show McCarty is a Level 3 sex offender, the highest risk classification under Massachusetts law, and far from a first-time offender.

McCarty’s criminal history includes multiple prior convictions for open and gross lewdness, with records stretching back years, as well as earlier convictions for indecent assault and battery. The Red Line incident was not an isolated allegation, but another episode in a repeated pattern of sexual misconduct.

looks like your guy. https://t.co/jvbSdD7et9@MassDailyNews

— Jason (@JasonDuncan611) December 29, 2025

Even with a rap sheet packed with similar offenses, Cambridge District Court Judge Brian Doxtader, a Gov. Healey appointee, put a price tag of just $500 on McCarty’s freedom — low enough to secure his release almost immediately. Bail decisions like this have been controversial, particularly in cases involving repeat offenders who continue cycling through the system with minimal consequences.

For many commuters, the case underscores a familiar frustration: police act, arrests are made, and yet individuals with extensive criminal histories quickly return to the public. In this case, MDN broke the story, a reader saw the alert, spoke up, and helped point investigators toward a suspect — while the justice system once again put a surprisingly low price on public safety.

The case remains pending in Cambridge court.