Crime show to feature indecent assault on teen

Detective Sergeant Rob Lemoto interviews Detective Helen Beck on the set of Police Ten 7 in Tauranga. Photo / Andrew Warner

A daytime indecent assault on a 14-year-old girl in Welcome Bay will be featured on Police Ten 7 this week.

Show host Detective Sergeant Rob Lemoto of Western Bay of Plenty police was filmed at the site of the attack yesterday interviewing Detective Helen Beck of the Western Bay child protection team.

Ms Beck told the Bay of Plenty Times the police were looking for a man who approached two girls on James Cook Dr on the afternoon of April 10, a Friday.

The girls were friends but had separated and gone in different directions before the man approached them.

One girl was near Resolution Rd and the other was near Endeavour Ave.

"He's indecently assaulted one of them. He's run off and we haven't been able to locate him."

Mr Lemoto said the man's behaviour was a concern because he was approaching young girls.

"The girls have done everything right. They ignored him. They were separated for a short period of time then came back together quickly and notified their parents.

"We don't put up with that sort of behaviour at all."

Putting the call out on Police Ten 7 was a great way to get the information out there so the man could be held accountable for his actions and prevented from doing something similar to someone else, Mr Lemoto said.

"We're pretty lucky in the Bay, it's a good place to live. These type of offences are fairly rare but we take them seriously.

"It's one of those things where he obviously has an issue. He saw the opportunity. There's no excuses for his behaviour."

Ms Beck said the man was described as being of Indian descent and aged between 18 and 22 with a slim build.

"If anyone has been approached by this male or if they know from this description who they think he is, please get in touch with me at the Tauranga Police Station."

Mr Lemoto said the man would have friends he had spoken to who may be concerned about his behaviour and put two and two together.

Bay of Plenty police communications manager Kim Perks said the attack was not publicised at the time as police had strong leads.

"We had some positive lines of inquiry quite early on that we were following through. Those inquiries have led us to the belief the offender is possibly a student from the Auckland area and we've now got to a point where we need to do something and go wider," she said.

The show will be screening this Thursday at 7.30pm on TV2.

- If you have any information, please contact Tauranga Police on 577 4300.