A man in his 60s is under police investigation on charges of inappropriate physical contact with an elementary schoolgirl inside an apartment complex in Incheon. The suspect, who initially denied the allegations, reportedly changed his stance after police presented closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage.
The Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency's Women and Juvenile Crime Investigation Unit said Tuesday it had booked the man, identified as A, without detention on charges of molesting a child under 13, a violation of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes.
The incident occurred on the 30th of last month near a prefabricated pavilion inside an apartment complex in Namdong-gu, Incheon. According to the investigation, A repeatedly touched the hands and shoulders of the elementary school girl, identified as B, and made inappropriate remarks such as "You'd be perfect as my wife." Police dispatched after a report from B's family reviewed nearby CCTV footage and arrested A.
CCTV footage of the incident obtained by Channel A shows A approaching B, who was sitting in the pavilion, and speaking to her before placing his hand on her shoulder and touching her back. When B tried to leave by gathering her bag and belongings, he was seen gripping her shoulders and back or grabbing her wrist.
B told police that A had asked for her home address and made the "perfect as my wife" remark, according to police. During questioning, A initially denied the physical contact but, when presented with the CCTV footage, reportedly said, "I did it because she was pretty — is that a problem?"
Police plan to review whether to seek a detention warrant after investigating the specific circumstances of the crime.
