Police searching for man accused of exposing himself to children for nearly two years

Police believe they have identified the man they suspect of driving around the Spokane area exposing himself to children for nearly two years.

They are searching for Jay Cooke, 41, who has not yet been arrested, police say. The department began receiving reports of a man in a black Chevy Avalanche with a roll bar and chrome front bumper exposing himself in the fall of 2015. In February 2016, several reports were received in the Hillyard area and the lower South Hill that prompted the police to ask for the public’s help in identifying the driver of the pickup.

The man appeared to be targeting girls between the ages of 6 and 11 as they were walking to school in the morning and would sometimes be on foot, according to police.

Police have requested eight charges of indecent exposure and two charges of communication with a minor for immoral purposes against Cooke.