70-year-old man arrested and sent to prosecution for attempted sexual assault and abduction of elementary school student
A 70-year-old man, who attempted to sexually assault and abduct a third-grade female student in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, has been arrested and sent to prosecution by the police.
According to JTBC's "Incident Report" on the 1st, the incident occurred at 8:10 AM on May 22.
The parents of the victim witnessed a black sedan approaching their daughter while they were watching her off to school from their apartment balcony.
The passenger window of the car was opened, and the driver attempted to talk to the child. Just as the child was about to put her hand on the passenger door, the parents shouted, “Don’t get in!” which allowed the child to escape danger. Upon hearing her parents, the child looked back, and the vehicle quickly left the scene.
Investigations revealed that the man had been persistently approaching the victim since two days prior to the incident.
He introduced himself as "an uncle living in Building 302" and lured her by saying “Let’s go to the farm,” even though there was no "Building 302" in the area.
The man approached children waiting for the school bus, suggesting, “Let’s go play at the farm,” and even bought them gum or toys from a convenience store.
A convenience store owner recounted that he felt something was off when he heard the man asking the child, "Where does your mom work?" but mistakenly thought the elderly man was there to pick up his granddaughter.
Even more shocking is that the man is suspected of having taken the child to an alley without CCTV surveillance and sexually assaulted her by touching her body.
The police arrested the suspect six days after the incident in Jungnang-gu, Seoul. Condoms, multiple erectile dysfunction medications, and an unknown liquid presumed to be an aphrodisiac were found in the man's vehicle, which also had its black box device disconnected.
The discovered unknown liquid is currently undergoing analysis at the National Institute of Scientific Investigation.
The arrested man denied the abduction charges during police questioning, stating that "the child greeted me first and I was just trying to take her to the school bus stop," but reportedly partially admitted to touching her body, saying, "I did touch her once."
What is particularly concerning is that the location where the man attempted the abduction was only 30 meters from the school bus stop, and the farm shed he owned was far from residential areas. The police stated, “He wouldn't have known what was happening here.”
Currently, the police have sent the man to prosecution on charges of attempted abduction of a minor and forced sexual assault against a minor under 13.
The parents of the victim expressed their fear, saying, “It could have led to a second Jo Doo-soon incident, and we’re worried he may receive a lighter sentence simply because he is elderly and a first-time offender.” They added, “Our daughter often screams in distress and has trouble sleeping due to anxiety.”
Image source: Reference photos for understanding the article / gettyimagesbank, Reference photos for understanding the article / gettyimagesbank
