A six-year-old girl in Birmingham was allegedly sexually assaulted after being lured into the woods, and now cops have arrested a 16-year-old boy.
On Saturday, the child was with her family when a boy "momentarily lured" the girl away from a playground in Rowheath Park into a nearby wooded area, reported Daily Mail. The girl told her mother about the alleged attack after going back home, and then police were informed.
On Sunday, police said that a 16-year-old boy was held on suspicion of sexual assault, and was kept in custody for questioning.
#UPDATE | A 16-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of sexual assault.
— Birmingham Police (@brumpolice) September 19, 2021
Earlier today, we appealed for your help after a child reported a sexual assault in Rowheath Park, Birmingham at around midday yesterday (18 September).
Details here ⬇️https://t.co/SHaV2JvdRs pic.twitter.com/EcBHzaa79P
Police continue to support the girl and her family while the investigation is still on. Amid the investigation, more cops have been deployed in the area to speak to park-goers and local residents to provide reassurance. Forensic teams have already gathered evidence from the scene.
Detective Inspector Matt Stone, from the public protection unit, urged people not to speculate on the circumstances, and make "unhelpful" and "distressing" comments in connection with the incident. "This arrest is a significant development as our investigation continues at pace," he added. Stone also urged anyone with any information regarding the incident to contact them at the earliest.
In a separate incident, a 15-year-old boy was charged after a girl reported she was sexually assaulted at a school in Charlotte, North Carolina, US last week. The girl told police that she was sexually assaulted by the suspect at Olympic High school on Sept. 13, said the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), according to WBTV.
Detectives in the CMPD’s sexual assault unit questioned the teenager, who was known to the victim. The boy was charged with second-degree kidnapping, sexual battery and attempted second-degree rape.
In a similar incident, last month a 16-year-old boy was charged in connection with the rape of a 14-year-old girl in Georgia, according to WRDW. The teen, Kyadiar Oliver, was charged as an adult, with one count of aggravated child molestation and one count of rape, said the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office. Oliver allegedly got his hands on a video of the victim while engaging in a sexual act and threatened to spread it if she turned down his offer to have sex with him.
