Police are hunting a man who attempted to grab a child who was on an school holiday excursion at the Melbourne Sea Life Aquarium.
A CCTV image released by police. Source: Supplied
A MAN has called out the wrong name to a seven-year-old boy before trying to abduct him while he was on a school excursion at Melbourne’s Sea Life Aquarium.
Police have released images of the man in hope someone may be able to identify him.
Video footage shows the man entering the foyer of the Flinders St aquarium, where the group of children from an eastern suburbs primary school, were gathered around 12.50pm on April 10.
The man exchanged a few unknown words to two teachers as he brushed past them before approaching the boy, calling him “Paul” and attempting to coax him away.
Sen-Det Darryn Syme, from the Melbourne Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team, said the man never touched the boy.
“He’s gestured for the boy to come with him,” he said.
“The child was shocked and began walking with the man. He never touched him. The best way to describe it, he’s had a guiding arm behind the boy.”
Sen-Det Syme praised the efforts of the teachers who quickly intervened.
“It happened extremely quick,” he said. “A nearby teacher who was supervising, after about three steps, stood in front of both the man and the child and intervened.
“(The boy has) walked up to the teacher and said, ‘I don’t know this man’.
“There’s nothing more that the teachers or students could have done in this case.”
The man immediately left the area and boarded an eastbound tram on Flinders St.
Sen-Det Syme said police attempts to trace his movements in the lead up to and after the incident by gathering CCTV in the area had failed.
He described the behaviour as “brazen” and could not rule out the man would strike again.
“We don’t know what the man’s intentions were,” he said.
“At this stage we are treating it as an attempted child stealing. But in saying that it might be totally innocent. It could be nothing more than mistaken identity.”
He said it was a timely reminder for parents to have the “stranger danger” chat with their children, adding the man was not known to the boy or his family.
The man is described as being caucasian, aged between 50-60, about 183cm tall with a medium build and partially bald, greying hair.
At the time he was wearing a black jacket, black pants and black shoes.
Anyone who recognises the man or has further information regarding the incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000 or via http://ift.tt/1bQZeZd
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