A Lethbridge man is facing criminal harassment charges in relation to several incidents involving women and girls.
The Lethbridge Police Service (LPS) said they received multiple reports regarding “an unknown, suspicious male approaching young girls and women, asking them to hang out, attempting to persuade them to enter his vehicle and in some of the incidents, offering cash if they would comply.”
Police said the incidents took place between April 9 and April 15 and involved 10 victims who came forward, ranging in age between 11 and 45.
LPS said in all cases “the females immediately declined the male’s advances, but he continued to persist, either repeating or restating his solicitations multiple times, causing the victims to fear for their safety and leave the area.”
According to police, five of the incidents occurred on the westside and one on the southside.
“In most cases, the man was inside his vehicle and would pull up alongside the victims to speak to them, but in one instance he was reported soliciting staff and customers inside a grocery store where he was recorded on video surveillance,” police said.
Police said social media posts about the man helped identify him and lead to his subsequent arrest.
Yahya Mehmet, 30, is facing criminal harassment charges.
Police said Mehmet has been released from custody following a Judicial Interim Release hearing, but has multiple conditions he must comply with including no contact with the victims, a weapons prohibition and no contact with any person under the age of 16 with the exception of customers at his workplace or those employed at other places of business as long as the contact is necessary to conduct transactions with a customer.
He is scheduled to appear in court on May 17.