Toronto police say child sexually assaulted at public swimming pool

A man who allegedly sexually assaulted a child at a public swimming pool in Toronto last month is being sought by police.

Police said officers responded to a call for a sexual assault at a community centre swimming pool in the area of Lawrence Avenue East and Manse Road in Scarborough at 1:45 p.m. on Aug. 25.

A man and at least two children, the ages of whom were not released, were in the pool at that time when the man approached and tried to engage one of them in conversation, police said.

The man allegedly grabbed the child and pulled them away from their mother, who intervened.

Police said the man then approached a second child and began speaking with them. It’s at that point, police allege, that the child was sexually assaulted.

The man fled the are in an unknown direction. It’s unclear if the child suffered any injuries.

The suspect is described by police as male, 20 to 30 years old, with short black hair and a black beard. He was wearing sunglasses, a Lionel Messi Argentina soccer jersey and black shorts at the time of the alleged assault, police said.

Police are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact them at 416-808-7474 or Crime Stoppers anonymously.