Man accused of groping, making explicit sexual comments to child on SkyTrain turns himself in
Posted February 13, 2019 12:43 pm.
Last Updated February 14, 2019 8:25 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – A suspect in a groping incident early this month on SkyTrain has turned himself in to police.
Transit Police say a seven-year-old girl and her mother were riding the SkyTrain from Commercial-Broadway Station when a man on the train made sexual comments to the child and allegedly touched her buttocks.
The man reportedly made “extremely vulgar” comments to the girl and detailed explicit sexual acts he wanted to engage in with her. He also allegedly made several attempts to touch her.
Transit Police say the suspect, a 57-year-old man from Burnaby, turned himself in on Feb. 13, hours after investigators made the incident public.
“By the sounds of it, this guy had seen himself on the media and he did turn himself in,” said Sgt. Clint Hampton.
Police say a bystander overheard the comments being made during the Feb. 2 incident and confronted him. That’s when the suspect left the train at Production Way station.
A charge of sexual interference is being recommended.
Hampton notes the suspect is known to police. “There is no criminal record, but he has had interactions with the police in the past.”
He adds this was a shocking case for investigators.
“Anytime you have a seven-year-old that’s a victim to an offence like this, it’s shocking. It gets people’s attention … We got a lot of response and were able to have this guy ID’d only hours later.”
Investigators have spoken with the girl’s mother, who said her daughter is doing quite well after the incident.
“I think fortunately, some of the comments that were made to her she was too young to understand. So, given the circumstances, I would say she’s doing very well.”
The suspect has been released from custody, pending a court appearance.
Conditions of his release are he is not allowed to contact the little girl or her mother, nor can he be on SkyTrain. He’s also not allowed to drink alcohol.
