KEARNS, Utah – Police are searching for a suspect who allegedly told two young girls he was a police officer concerned for their safety before he sexually assaulted one of the children.
According to a press release from the Unified Police Department, the incident occurred near 4985 Pieper Blvd. around 1:45 p.m. on Monday.
Police stated the suspect approached two 8-year-old girls who were walking in the area and told them he was a police officer. When the girls asked why he wasn’t wearing a uniform he said it was so it would be easier for him to catch bad guys. The suspect told the girls he was concerned for their safety and would walk with them.
After walking some distance, the man allegedly told one of the girls to go home. The press release states that a few minutes later the man threw the other girl over a fence and into a small field near some railroad tracks. The man then jumped the fence and allegedly sexually assaulted the victim.
The girl's mother, who did not wish to be identified, spoke about the man's ruse.
“He told my daughter that he needed to protect her from a bad guy that was up the road a little bit shooting… and he said that this man was shooting people who were walking outside and, in order to keep her safe, they needed to get behind the building so that the bricks could shield them from the bullets," she said.
The suspect is described as a Caucasian male who has brown hair and a scar on one of the corners of his mouth. He was described as a young adult who was wearing blue pajama style pants. He has “Bushy (bed head) brown hairs.”
The suspect may have been in a red car, and the victim said the car and wheels were both “shiny.”
The victim's mother said she believes the man is familiar with the area.
“Sick individual; I think he knew, he had plenty of knowledge of the area and this complex,” she said.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the department’s tip line at 385-GOT-TIPS. Callers may also contact dispatch at 801-743-7000.
