Police hunt suspected serial child sex offender in Greenwich and Lewisham
Written by News on 19/10/2017
Police are hunting a potential serial child sex attacker suspected of targeting victims as young as 11.
Detectives say an offender with a similar physical description has approached and "sexually touched" his victims before running away.
Three of the victims are girls aged 11, four are girls aged 13 and the other two are women.
All attacks took place in the Greenwich and Lewisham boroughs of southeast London, prompting police to increase patrols and work with schools in the area.
CCTV images, released by police, captured the man before and after his attack at around 9.50am in Liskeard Gardens, Kidbrooke, on Thursday 5 October.
Officers say it is essential he is caught quickly and have put out an appeal for the public’s help.
Superintendent Lee Hill, of Greenwich Police, said: "These incidents were very frightening for the victims.
"I am appealing to the public to help identify and locate this man as quickly as possible.
"Although none of the victims have suffered physical injury, the effects of becoming a victim of sexual assault can be lasting and traumatic.
"There is a possibility that these incidents are part of a linked series of attacks as a number of victims have provided very similar descriptions of the attacker – a white man aged between 40 and 50 years old, with short white or blond hair.
"This is one line of enquiry detectives are exploring.
"I am concerned that there may be more victims who have not yet come forward and are not receiving the support that they may need.
"I would urge any victims who have not yet come forward to contact police."
Three of the attacks took place within a few streets of each other and within the space of half an hour on Thursday 5 October.
The attacks against the 11-year-old girls took place: in Edward Tyler Road, Grove Park, SE12, at 1.15pm on Tuesday 29 August; in Alanthus Close, Lee, SE12, at 8.15am on Thursday 28 September; and in Honor Oak Road, Forest Hill, SE23, at 4pm on Monday 16 October.
The attacks against the 13-year-old girls took place: in Ravens Way, Lee, SE12, at 8.20am on Friday 30 June; in Vicars Hill, Ladywell, SE13, at 8.20am on Wednesday 27 September; in Frank Burton Close, Charlton, SE7 at 4.30pm on Thursday 28 September; and in Kidbrooke Park Road, Kidbrooke, SE3, at 9.20am on Thursday 5 October.
The other attacks were one against a 27-year-old woman in Kidbrooke Park Road, SE3, at 9.30am and against a 25-year-old woman in Liskeard Gardens at 9.54am, both in Kidbrooke on Thursday 5 October.
(c) Sky News 2017: Police hunt suspected serial child sex offender in Greenwich and Lewisham
