TORONTO — Police are warning the public to be “more alert and vigilant” after a second child under 10 was sexually assaulted in the Thorncliffe Park area this month following an attempted abduction of a third child, while investigators are looking into a possible connection between the cases.
Toronto police said a nine-year-old boy was in the Thorncliffe Public Library, in the Thorncliffe Park Drive and Overlea Boulevard area, between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. when he was approached by an unknown man asking for help.
The boy then helped the man and was allegedly sexually assaulted by him, before an adult passing by stopped the man before he left the area.
READ MORE: Attempted child abduction in Thorncliffe Park possibly linked to sexual assault of girl, 8
The suspect is described by police as a white male aged late 40s to early 50s standing 5’8″ with a medium build, short light-coloured hair and wearing a brown leather jacket, glasses and dark pants.
On Oct. 5, police said an eight-year-old girl was shopping with her parents in the Thorncliffe Park area when an unknown man approached her from behind and sexually assaulted her at about 11:15 a.m. The suspect then fled the area in an unknown direction. On Oct. 9, police released a surveillance image of the suspect.
Police described the suspect as a brown man aged 50 to 60 years old with a moustache. He was wearing a black hat, black button jacket or blazer and blue jeans.
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READ MORE: Video released of person of interest in attempted abduction case in Thorncliffe Park
Then on Oct. 13, a nine-year-old boy was repeatedly targeted in an attempted abduction in the same neighbourhood.
Police said the boy was walking alone to school in the Thorncliffe Park Drive and Overlea Boulevard area just before 9 a.m., when an unknown man approached him and grabbed his shoulder.
The boy was able to break the man’s grasp and run to school, but as he was leaving for lunch he saw the same man who police said approached him again. The boy then ran inside the school and informed a teacher.
Police described the suspect as a brown man, aged early 40s to early 50s, standing 6’0″ with short light brown hair, short facial hair near the chin that is light-grey and a moustache. He was wearing a white shirt, dark zip-up jacket, black pants with word ‘ADIDAS’ written near the pocket, Nike shoes with orange on them, and a black hat with an orange circular symbol.
On Oct. 23, police released a video of the suspect in connection with the attempted abduction.
WATCH: Police ask public for help in identifying person of interest in attempted abduction of boy, 9
At that time, police confirmed to Global News they were looking into whether the suspect was connected with the Oct. 5 sexual assault, but said it was too early in the investigation to confirm.
On Thursday, police said there was increased concern after reports of the third sexual assault in the Thorncliffe Park area.
“That’s why police are putting out the information for the public to be aware and if anyone has any information to come forward. And a lot of the time victims do not come forward even when they are sexually assaulted,” said Toronto Police Const. Jennifer Sidhu.
“Everyone should be more alert and vigilant and if they see something unusual or something that doesn’t seem right, call police, let us investigate it. There’s been a number of occurrences happening in a particular area within a particular period, it’s something that we all should be looking at together.”
READ MORE: Police release photo of suspect after girl, 8, sexually assaulted in Thorncliffe Park
Sidhu said investigators would always be looking for a link between suspects in cases such as this, but it’s too early to determine if there is a connection.
A sexual assault is any form of unwanted sexual contact. It includes, but is not limited to, kissing, grabbing, oral sex and penetration. To learn more about sexual assault, including how to report a sexual assault, please visit the Toronto Police Service Sex Crimes website.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-5300, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), online at http://www.222tips.com, text TOR and your message to CRIMES (274637).
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