Police Ten 7 to screen horrific crime

Tauranga police are hoping a segment on tonight's episode of Police Ten 7 will help them identify the offender responsible for putting a seven-year-old though a horrific ordeal.

The sexual assault of the girl in her Mount Maunganui home will feature as this week's crime of the week.

Detective Sergeant Darryl Brazier described it as a despicable crime which had left the young girl traumatised.

The 7-year-old girl was sexually assaulted in her Mount Maunganui home sometime overnight on September 4-5.

The intruder entered the Oceanview Rd house and indecently assaulted the girl, while her younger sister slept in the same room.

Mr Brazier said the offender had entered the house through a sliding door and into the room where the two girls were sleeping.

"From what we gather, he made no attempt to gain entry to any other room in the house. This offender made no attempt to steal any property, which has indicated he didn't go there with the intention of burglary and was there for one reason."

The offender spent about 15-20 minutes inside the girls' bedroom before he took off down the street.

Former Bay of Plenty Detective and host of the crime-fighting television series, Graham Bell, said: "Any indecent assault on a child is really bad news and it worries us that this guy might strike again. The guy needs to be stopped and he won't stop until he has been caught."

If you have any information about who the offender is, contact Tauranga police on 577 4300 or anonymously call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

The show will screen at 7.30pm on TV 2 tonight.