Stranger Attacks, Forcibly Rapes Man In His 40s At Cleveland Nature Reserve

Police investigation is underway after a man in his 40s became the target of an "exceptionally rare" case of brute rape along a footpath near a Yorkshire nature reserve in Middlesbrough, United Kingdom.

At around 7:30 p.m. on April 29, the now recovering victim was reportedly walking along a trail known as the "black path," near Maze Park Nature Reserve in Cleveland, England when he was violently attacked by a stranger.

In his testimony, the victim said he was jogging along the trail which runs from Tees Barrage to Newport Bridge in North Yorkshire when he was approached by an unidentified man seemingly in his late thirties. The assailant proceeded to tackle and pin the man down to the ground by force before raping him against his will.

Cleveland Police launched their investigations shortly after the crime was reported, confirming that they are following several lines of inquiry into the incident.

Detective Sergeant Iain Pearson, who leads the case, provided an update from Middlesbrough Police Station on Monday, assuring the public that what had occurred was just an "exceptionally rare" case of violence in the area.

"Stranger rapes are exceptionally rare and we are taking this incident very seriously. We are investigating it with a dedicated team of detectives and I would like to thank the public for their response to the appeals that we have made so far," he said.

Pearson commended the community for their eagerness to help crack another horrendous rape case, appealing to witnesses and those with information to come forward and assist police in its investigations.

The alleged attacker is described to be black, around 5-foot-10, with a stocky build, short black hair, and a prominent gap between his front teeth. The victim noted that the stranger was clean-shaven and can speak English but was not fluently.

According to TeessideLive, specially trained officers are now offering support to the victim and his family. For reassurance, neighborhood officers have also been dispatched to provide high-visibility presence in the Maze Park Nature Reserve area.

Keen to fast-track investigations, detectives are now tracking down a man captured by CCTV footage, believed to be in the area when the sex crime occurred, for questioning. The man is being treated by police as a potential witness and law enforcement is encouraging him to come forward to help with the investigations.

Officers are also continuing to appeal to find two women, believed to be in their thirties, who may have spotted a distressed male in the Newport Bridge area Thursday evening. It's believed one of the women has blonde, curly hair, BBC noted.

Witnesses or anyone who may have information on the incident or the person responsible is urged to come forward and contact Cleveland Police on 101, quoting incident number 068313.