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Winnipeg Police arrested and charged a 23-year-old man after an elementary school child was sexually assaulted after hours at a North End school playground in early June.
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On Canada Day at around 6:30 p.m., general patrol officers were called about a suspicious male who was asking to take a picture of a child at a park in the 500 block of King Street. A concerned adult followed the male and provided a description to police. The child was not harmed.
The officers believed the male was related to a previously reported sexual assault that occurred at a playground in the 400 block of Flora Avenue on June 1. They located him at a residence in the 100 block of Jarvis Avenue, and he was taken into custody and turned over to the Child Abuse Unit.
He has been charged with sexual assault and sexual interference for the June 1 incident and detained in custody.
“The Winnipeg Police Service would like to thank the community for their assistance in this ongoing investigation,” Winnipeg Police said in a release. “Investigators in the Child Abuse Unit received numerous tips regarding the June 1 incident.”
On June 1 at approximately 5:15 p.m., the victim and another child were at the playground when an unknown male approached them. He began by making sexually explicit comments, then grabbed one of the children and touched her in a sexual manner.
The child broke free, and both children ran home and reported the incident to an adult who contacted police. Neither of the children required medical attention.
Police notified the school which followed up with correspondence to parents/caregivers regarding student awareness and safety planning will follow.
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