Nanaimo, BC – The Nanaimo RCMP is advising the public of an indecent act that occurred at Westwood Lake. The incident involved an adult male who exposed himself to a young girl who was walking the trail with her other siblings and father. The incident took place at approximately 6pm on Wednesday September 2, 2020.
Police attended and spoke with the 9-year-old girl and her father. The girl was walking approximately 100 meters behind her family when the suspect appeared in the bushes and exposed himself. The male said a few words then left the area. The young girl ran to her father who went back to where the male was last seen but could not locate him. Police stayed in the area for over an hour and spoke with several people but there were no further sightings.
The male suspect is described as follows:
35-40 years of age, ethnicity unknown
wearing a blue surgical mask
black hat with white lettering on the front
green shirt
“
Westwood Lake is undoubtedly the most popular park in the City of Nanaimo. It is used by hundreds on a daily basis for swimming, hiking and cycling, and like other parks and trails throughout Nanaimo, it is extremely safe. Unfortunately, incidents like the one reported do occasionally occur,” said Constable Gary O’Brien of the Nanaimo RCMP.
The following are some safety tips if you encounter a similar incident:
Remove yourself from the incident
Do not engage with the individual
Report the incident immediately to the police
Walk in groups or with a buddy and carry a phone with you
If wearing earbuds, modify the volume so you can hear if someone is approaching or consider wearing only one earbud
Try to recall in as much detail as possible of the incident and of the person involved
If anyone has information on this incident and have not already spoken with police, please call the Nanaimo RCMP non-emergency line at 250-754-2345 and quote file # 2020-32203.
Nanaimo RCMP
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