Isle Of Wight: Was Sex Attack On 11-Year-Old Linked To Others?

12 September 2014, 17:12 | Updated: 12 September 2014, 17:14

Police are investigating whether there are links between a sex assault on a young girl on the isle of Wight - and other attacks on the island and in Hampshire.

 An 11-year-old girl was sexually assaulted on Saturday, September 6.
 
It happened at around 11am when the victim was at Fort Victoria, near Yarmouth, with her family.  She was approached by a man who allegedly sexually assaulted her and then walked away.
 
The man is described as:

•     White man with pale skin
•     In his 50s
•     Uncut grey hair
•     Clean shaven
•     About six feet tall
•     Average build
•     Deep voice
•     At the time of the incident the man was wearing a short-sleeved shirt with dark blue and light blue stripes and blue jeans.

Detective Inspector Floyd Higginson said:

“Thankfully incidents such as this are very rare on the Isle of Wight. We are working with our colleagues on the mainland to find out whether any similar historic reports have been made in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and whether they could be linked.
 
“We continue to follow a number of lines of enquiry to identify this offender and would urge members of the public to report any information to us which could assist our investigation. Speculation, particularly on social media, can heighten concerns in the community and may not be based on fact.
 
“We reiterate our personal safety advice is to ensure that parents are aware of where their children are and avoid letting them walk or play alone in secluded areas. We ask that you report any suspicious activity or people to us.”
 
A man was arrested a short time after the incident occurred. The man has since been released with no further action to be taken against him.

Anyone with information is asked to contact CID at Newport on 101.