Twenty children aged between six and 14 were approached by strangers in western Sydney in the past two months. ISABELL PETRINIC reports.
Five of the nine recent suspicious incidents involving child approaches occurred in the Auburn Council area, where at least seven children were approached between June 7 and August 9 alone.
Police said an 11-year-old girl playing with her two sisters outside a house in Dartbrook Road, Auburn, was approached by a man just after 3.30pm on Sunday afternoon.
She thinks it’s the same man who exposed himself to her last year.
Also in Dartbrook, a 10-year-old girl noticed a man in a nearby driveway, about 8.30am on June 16.
Police were called when it became clear the man resembled another person who had knocked on a front door and questioned a young girl on June 12.
Police are closely examining the possibility the same man is responsible for two other incidents on Dartbrook Road, where he approached a six-year-old girl outside a unit block about 4pm on June 11. Police were told he grabbed the girl. When she screamed, the man ran away.
A similar incident occurred about two or three months ago, when a man of similar description exposed himself to a six-year-old girl, also on Dartbrook Road.
On June 7, a 10-year-old girl was playing in a Lidcombe playground when she noticed a man staring at her.
On June 8 and 9, she saw the man again at the same place. He then approached her on London Road, Berala, claiming to be a work colleague of her mother and then her father, who he said asked him to collect her.
■ Scroll to the bottom for descriptions of men seen in the area at the time of the incidents.
Yet despite the number of approaches in Auburn Council, the area did not record the most juvenile/child abductions in the period April 2014 to March 2015 — Holroyd did with 11.8 incidents per 100,000 population.
This compares with 8.5 per 100,000 in Penrith, where one of the recent incidents occurred; 5.7 for Blacktown; 5.1 for Parramatta, where three of the recent incidents occurred; and 4.2 for NSW as a whole.
We also looked at figures for the Hawkesbury (0), Hornsby (0) and The Hills (2.2).
In North Parramatta, an eight-year-old girl was grabbed by a man while walking to school on July 28. Police are also investigating after a 14-year-old girl was approached on Victoria Road, North Parramatta, on August 6.
The girl, her sister and two friends had got off a bus when a man approached the 14-year-old and spoke to her, before blocking her path a number of times when she tried to walk away.
In South Granville, a 10-year-old girl was approached in the front yard of her home on August 4.
■ Scroll to the bottom for descriptions of men seen in the area at the time of the incidents.
Commander of the Sex Crimes Squad, Detective Superintendent Linda Howlett, advised caution and vigilance.
She said the vast majority of attempted child abduction cases reported to police were simply instances where the child felt uncomfortable or suspected they might have been followed.
‘‘Nevertheless, we continue to encourage any child who feels uncomfortable or threatened to go to a safe location and contact police,’’ she said.
‘‘All matters reported to police are thoroughly investigated. This is regardless of the age of the child, or the location of the incident.’’
She said the level of attempted child abductions in NSW — including in western Sydney — remained constant.
She encouraged parents to discuss the ‘‘Safe People, Safe Places’’ messages with their kids. Click here for the messages.
■ Auburn: There have been a series of suspicious incidents in the Auburn area, where at least six children have been approached between June 7 and last August 9.
Just after 3.30pm on August 9, an 11-year-old girl playing with her two sisters outside a home in Dartbrook Avenue were approached by a man.
The girl’s father later went looking for the man and saw him near Bardo Park. He refused to stop and ran away.
A passerby witnessed the man get into a white utility and drive off towards Parramatta Road.
He is described as being of Caucasian appearance, 40 to 45 years of age, about 173cm tall, with a medium build, weighing about 80kg. At the time he was wearing a black t-shirt, light blue jeans and a bucket hat.
Police would also like to speak to anyone with information, including the passerby who assisted on Sunday, August 9.
Also in Auburn, on June 16, a 10-year-old girl noticed a man in a nearby driveway, about 8.30am. Click here for full story.
■ Lidcombe: About 2.30pm on June 7, a 10-year-old girl was playing in a playground on the south western side of Coleman Park, Lidcombe. She noticed a man staring at her and pacing up and down on the grass area about 20 metres from Nottinghill Road and the park. The girl became fearful and walked home.
A short-time later she returned to the park, noticed the same man who again stared at her for about 15 minutes while she played.
About 3.20pm on June 8, the girl saw the same man again at the same location. The following day about 3.30pm, she saw him again near Coleman Park.
The man approached the girl on London Road, Berala, and claimed to be a work colleague of her mother and then her father who he said asked him to collect her.
Between 11.30am and 12.05pm on June 23, a man with a similar appearance was reported to be observing children playing at York Park, Berala.
Detectives from Flemington Local Area Command would like to speak with a man who may be able to assist them with inquiries. He's described as being of Caucasian appearance, aged in his late 20s with a thin build, 175cm to 180cm tall, with black hair and a shaggy fringe and an unshaven face.
On June 9, the man was seen wearing a plain grey t-shirt, black tracksuit pants, and white sports shoes. He also wore a cap backwards.
On June 23, the man was described as being of similar description but had facial stubble and was wearing sunglasses. He was last seen wearing a red and blue beanie, green jumper, brown trousers and joggers and was carrying a backpack over his right shoulder.
■ North Parramatta: About 8.45am on July 28, an eight-year-old girl was walking to school along Albert Street when a man approached from behind and grabbed her. Click here for the full story.
Police are also investigating after a teenager was approached in North Parramatta. In this incident a 14-year-old girl, her sister and two friends had got off a bus on Victoria Road between 3.40pm and 4pm on August 6, when a man approached the 14-year-old and spoke to her, before blocking her path a number of times when she tried to walk away. Click here for the full story.
■ South Granville: A 10-year-old girl was approached in the front yard of her home in Steel Street, about 4.45pm on August 4. The man entered through the front gate and repeatedly called out to the girl, to come over. Click here for the full story.
Figures are per 100,000 people, by council area, from April 2014 to March 2015:
■ Auburn: 5.4
■ Blacktown: 5.7
■ Hawkesbury: 0
■ Holroyd: 11.8
■ Hornsby: 0
■ NSW: 4.2
■ Parramatta: 5.1
■ Penrith: 8.5
■ The Hills: 2.2