Toronto police investigating fifth recent potential sex-offender incident in Scarborough

Toronto police are investigating what could potentially be a fifth sex-offender incident in Scarborough’s Malvern area within recent weeks.

Police say the latest disturbance saw a man approach two young children walking near Neilson Road and McLevin Avenue on Wednesday. He reportedly asked the children, aged 4 and 6, if they needed a walk to school.

“The 4-year-old agreed and the 6-year-old then noticed what had occurred and started questioning the man,” Const. Jennifer Sidhu told AM640.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "The 4-year-old agreed and the 6-year-old then noticed what had occurred and started questioning the man," Const. Jennifer Sidhu told AM640.

“The man then walked away.”

The suspect is described as in his mid-40s with a dark brown complexion. He was wearing all-black clothing at the time.

Const. Sidhu said Toronto police have a number of officers dedicated to the investigation and are not ruling out the possibility the incident could be linked to four other recent cases.

The first reported case happened on Feb. 10, when two 9-year-old boys, walking near Burrows Hall Boulevard and Purvis Crescent around 3 p.m., were approached by a man in a vehicle who tried to get them into the car. The boys refused and the man fled the scene.

On March 7, two 10-year-old boys and a 5-year-old girl were walking in the same Burrows Hall area when a vehicle approached them and tried to get the kids into the car. They ran back to school and reported what happened.

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Another incident took place in front of Malvern Junior Public School, reportedly involving a man wearing a ski mask who ran towards a 10-year-old girl, who ran back into the school to call for help.

The last reported incident took place on March 21 when a 10-year-old girl was allegedly assaulted on a walking trail near McLevin Avenue and Malvern Street. She was able to kick herself free and escape the attacker.

“In all these incidents, they all did occur in the Scarborough area and children were approached,” Const. Sidhu said. “It’s something that police are definitely actively investigating.”

A number of measures are in place to help educate students and prevent further incidents from occuring. Sidhu said police have made presentations to students at Malvern Junior Public School and the school has provided ongoing notices to parents advising them of the situation.

Police are again urging parents to discuss safety tips with their children.

“Let them know that if someone they don’t know approaches them, what they should do,” Const. Sidhu said.

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“To always be aware of their surroundings when they are walking to and from school, to make sure they have a buddy system, and to always walk in well-lit places.”