Parents Warned About Possible Pedophile In Whitby

Police in Durham Region are asking parents to keep a watchful eye on their children after a man allegedly groped a 10-year-old girl on her way to school in Whitby.

The incident occurred at about 8:40am Wednesday as the youngster was headed to Glen Dhu Public School, located on Fallingbrook St.

She apparently saw a man standing at the corner of Fallingbrook St. and Inglenook Court. According to a police news release he apparently followed her for about 75 metres before allegedly touching her inappropriately and then running off. The suspect was last seen fleeing southbound on Fallingbrook.

The suspect is described as:

• Male, white
• 30 years old
• 5’10”, medium build
• Dark coloured goatee without a moustache

He was wearing a dark-coloured hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans and work boots.

Anyone with information about this incident can call the Durham Regional Police Major Crime Sexual Assault Unit at (905) 579-1520 ext. 5317 or 5345 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Safety information for children and their parents:

• Don’t talk to strangers.
• Never give out your name or address to anyone.
• Don’t put your kids’ names on their clothes or backpacks.
• Travel to and from school with friends .
• Avoid routes that take you into remote areas.

But the would-be abductors know these rules, too. So how do they lure so many otherwise savvy youngsters into their traps? Experts claim their ruses takes several forms, and advise you review them with your kids to ensure they don’t take the bait.

Requests for assistance

It’s the oldest trick in the book. A man stops a car and asks for directions, or help in finding a lost puppy. They may pleasantly ask a child to help them with a package into their home or car.

What to tell your kids: Adults never need help from children. If one stops to ask for assistance, have them keep their distance and tell them they can’t do anything for them.

Authority Figures:

Predators take advantage of the fact that parents often tell their kids to trust police officers and security guards if they’re in trouble. But what if the molesters are posing as these authority figures? They could try to ‘arrest’ the youngsters for theft or any other pretend offence. Handcuffs have even been used on older children.

What to tell your kids: Officials never approach kids at schoolyards, but will go to the office first if they’re legit. Store officials will demand to take any suspicious kids to a security office – not out of the building. If a parent is present, you’re well within your rights to accompany them. Check the credentials of any person of authority who approaches you. If they’re the real thing, they won’t have a problem proving it.

Job Offers:

This common ploy involves a lot of flattery and deceit. Kids are told they can be models, great singers, or contestants in a beauty pageant and are being offered a terrific opportunity. In simpler cases, the offer could be as common as a babysitting position.

What to tell your kids : Adults deal with business affairs through parents and other adults – not kids. Never, under any conditions, should they follow someone offering them a job to any location. Get a card or a contact number, and have the parent check it out first. Legitimate modeling or talent agencies don’t approach kids with job offers.

Gifts:

Maybe the oldest ploy of all, which gave rise to the adage ‘beware of strangers with candy.’ It involves trying to lure innocent kids with promises of sweets or puppies. Older teens can be tempted with drugs, beer or electronic equipment like portable MP3 players or video games.

The idea is to make them feel an obligation to the adult and go with them to get their reward.

What to tell your kids: What you likely already have – beware of anyone who tries to lure you into a car or apartment with offers of anything free. It’s a hard lesson we all learn – nothing in life comes gratis. The sooner they know it, the better.

Warning for parents: Remember, not all would-be attackers are strangers. Friends and relatives can be dangerous if you don’t really know them. If your kids come home with unexplained items they didn’t pay for, find out where they got them, and who gave them out.

Fear:

Another common technique is simple intimidation. Adults are bigger and stronger than little kids, and youngsters have been taught to listen to them.

What to tell your kids : If someone tries to strong arm them and scare them into going somewhere, their number one priority is to stay in a public place. Scream, create a scene, attract attention until someone intervenes. Yell, “This is not my father/mother! Please help!” to make others sit up and take notice. The one thing an abductor doesn’t want is attention or witnesses. Commotion will generally cause them to try and get away as quickly as possible.

Fun and Games:

There’s nothing funnier than a clown to some kids. But pedophiles are experts when it comes to knowing what kids like – and how to give it to them.

Arcades are often used as meeting places, where would-be abductors give kids loose change to play the games, and slowly build up their trust.

What to tell your kids: Adults don’t play with children. If they try, be suspicious and run away.

The Internet :

The modern pedophile’s new playground. Abductors can use it to contact children, obtain their phone numbers or arrange meetings, and spirit them away, without you even knowing about it.

What to tell your kids: The computer is in your house and you own it. Part of the rules for their access is never to give out any personal information of any kind to anyone online. That includes a last name, an address, a phone number or where they go to school. And they should never agree to meet anyone they don’t know through an email or chat room invitation.

Warning for parents: Know where your kids go online. Keep track of who they’re contacting. For younger children, consider a software restrictor like Net Nanny, that will allow you to program which sites they have access to. And take away their computer privileges if they violate any of your rules.

The child safety group F.Y.I. offers six suggestions to help parents protect their kids:

1. Do not allow your child to write their address or phone number on their books. It only takes a second for predators to see their personal information.

2. Talk to your children about responsibility and family safety rules. Parents make it too easy for their children not to take responsibility. Safety starts in our homes, schools, and communities.

3. Parents have to ensure that their children know their home phone number, their address, and their parents’ business and cell phone numbers.

4. Parents must know their children’s route to and from school, short cuts, and friends. Do a safety walk and point out “safe havens” such as a trusted neighbour or a store so that your child knows where they can go to if faced with a dangerous situation. The key thread to all safety is repetitive training and positive communication. A prepared child is a safe child.

5. If you are a working parent, know who your children are with at all times no matter what. Ask for references and background checks. We want to be acting preventatively – not responding to tragedy.

6. Your children will be asked to use a computer for research and test material as early as grade one. It is your responsibility to educate your children about internet safety.