POLICE are warning to the public to keep an eye on their kids after a nine-year-old girl was sexually touched by a stranger Wednesday afternoon in the Lynn Valley neighbourhood.
The assault happened shortly after 4 p.m. on the 1400-block of Ross Road, according to the North Vancouver RCMP. Investigators are now asking for the public's help in finding the suspect, who they say approached two nine-year-old girls and persuaded them to follow him down a trail leading south, promising to show them a 100-year-old tree. When the girls followed him into a wooded area, the man asked them to pose individually for photos with him.
While posing for a picture with one of the girls, the suspect allegedly touched her "in an inappropriate sexual manner."
Police say neither of the girls knows who the suspect was. He is only described as a white man in his 50s.
"We do not believe that this incident is related to a sexual assault incident that occurred on June 28, 2012, in the 4000-block of Capilano Road," said Sgt. Peter Thiessen. "We are advising all North Vancouver parents to be extra vigilant when allowing their children to venture on their own and ensure they do not interact with strangers."
