Austin police look for man who had indecent contact with child at Walmart
AUSTIN, Texas - The Austin Police Department is asking the public for help identifying a man who sexually assaulted a 6-year-old girl at the Southpark Meadows Walmart on Saturday, May 15.
(Austin Police Department)
Police say the incident occurred at approximately 6:30 p.m. inside the Walmart on the 9300 block of S IH 35 Frontage Road in South Austin.
DOWNLOAD THE FOX 7 AUSTIN NEWS APP
(Austin Police Department)
Det. Katy Conner with the department’s Child Abuse Unit says the man entered the Walmart in the afternoon hours and "walked around briefly" before forcibly touching the girl in a sexual manner. "This is a public safety concern. Obviously, this guy was in a local business, this was a very brazen act," said Conner.
The suspect is described as a white male of average size. He was last seen wearing a white baseball-style cap, green patterned shirt, maroon-colored pants, and green or gray Converse style sneakers. He was wearing a mask inside the store.
Police say the suspect was seen leaving the scene in a blue or green, older 1999 body style Chevrolet Suburban.
(Austin Police Department)
According to the U.S.-based nonprofit RAINN, the Rape Abuse & Incest National Network, 1 in 9 girls and 1 in 53 boys under the age of 18 experience sexual abuse or assault.
"Usually the adult who is using abuse is known by the child. About 93 percent of victims under the age of 18 know the person who is abusing them," said Antwon Martin, with the SAFE Alliance of Austin.
Conner says parents should be aware of their surroundings. "This is a suspect that approached the victim and had an intention to sexually abuse this child. So there's not much that could have been done differently in this case, unfortunately."
SIGN UP FOR FOX 7 AUSTIN EMAIL ALERTS
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the APD Child Abuse tip line at (512) 974-6880, Crime Stoppers at 512-472-TIPS or use the new Crime Stoppers App. You can also submit tips by downloading APD’s mobile app, Austin PD, for free on iPhone and Android.