Louisville police searching for man accused of inappropriately touching girl outside school

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville police are looking for a man accused of inappropriately touching a girl who was waiting to be picked up from school.

In a Facebook post Wednesday, Louisville Metro Police said the girl was waiting near McCready and Richard avenues in Crescent Hill around 3 p.m. Sept. 18. The man pictured above allegedly approached her and "inappropriately touched her" before running away.

According to police, the victim was able to protect herself and capture video of the suspect as he ran through a yard, around a corner and down the street. The video, posted by LMPD on social media, shows the man wearing a dark gray shirt, khaki shorts, gray shoes and black socks.

“The young lady was standing here in this area and she was approached and inappropriately touched by the man in this video,” John Bradley, a spokesperson for LMPD, said. “She screamed, drew attention to herself, and scared him away.”

Authorities removed the audio from the footage to protect the identity of the victim. Police say the suspect may face a charge of first-degree criminal abuse, which involves unwanted physical contact of a sexual nature.

LMPD showed the video to help the public get a better look at the suspect. Officials praised the girl’s bravery.

“She has been extremely cooperative and helpful,” Bradley said. “During the assault, she had the presence of mind to protect herself, create chaos to scare the suspect away, and then record video of him.”

The incident occurred in the middle of the afternoon in a busy neighborhood between Lexington Road and Frankfort Avenue, where children walk home from school and parents pick them up. Cindy Richards, a local resident, described the suspect as a man in his 20s and roughly 200 pounds.

“Parents park at the schools for pickup, and the kids walk to the area or hang out nearby,” Richards said.

Police stressed that such incidents should not be ignored.

“When a person commits a crime like this, it is rarely the end of their criminal activity,” Bradley said. “We want to do everything we can to prevent and deter further crimes.”

The suspect has not been seen getting into a vehicle, and once he rounded the corner, he was out of the camera’s view. LMPD is urging anyone with information to contact them immediately.

If you can identify the man, call LMPD's anonymous Crime Tip Line at (502) 574-LMPD (5673). Tips can also be submitted anonymously through the department's online Crime Tip Portal by clicking here.

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