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Winnipeg police say a stranger grabbed a child in the bathroom of a St. Vital elementary school on Thursday, leading to charges of assault and forcible confinement against a 28-year-old man. who is a registered sex offender.
Officers were called to the school around 1:30 pm on a report of a strange adult who had entered the school and become confrontational. a child, Const. Dani McKinnon said at a press conference on Friday.
“I was a complete stranger,” he said.
McKinnon declined to name the school, but a Thursday memo sent to parents by Darwin School Principal Erin Enns identified that kindergartenat the eighth grade school, just west of the St. Vital Center and part of the Louis Riel School Division, where the incident occurred.
The school was placed in a secure and held situation, meaning The exterior doors are locked and guarded.
Police say they believe the man hid in a bathroom at the school. When a student emerged from another cubicle, the man grabbed the boy.
The student fought back and freed himself from the man, then ran to tell a teacher what had happened.
The boy did not need medical treatment, McKinnon said.
“Very disturbing”
The man fled before the police arrived, buAn “eagle-eyed” witness in a vehicle followed him to a nearby shopping center, McKinnon said. Police identified it as a shopping center in the 1200 block of St. Mary’s Road, which is where St. Vital Center is located.
Mall security helped police find the man in the parking lot, where he was taken into custody.
Scott William George, 28, has been charged with assault, forcible confinement and two counts of breaching a prohibition involving children. He was detained in custody.
George has been a registered sex offender since pleading guilty to sexual interference in 2023, court records show. He was sentenced to two years for the July 2022 offense that involved sexually touching a person under 16 years of age.
George’s criminal record dates back to 2015 and includes convictions for burglary and robbery, forced entry, mischief and weapons offences.
The prohibition order was intended to prevent George from having contact with children or being in spaces where they would normally be, McKinnon said.
He also declined to comment on the motive or how the man got to the school.
“At the end of the day, this is a very disturbing incident,” he said.
“The light at the end of the tunnel is that nothing happened to this child physically in terms of harm… and what a brave student.”
McKinnon did not provide details about the student, including his age or gender.
Police say their investigation continues and ask anyone who wants to speak with an investigator to contact the child abuse unit at 204-986-3296, or submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers at 204-786-8477 (TIPS) or online.
They also said they encourage parents and caregivers to talk to their children about safety “and the power of ‘see something, say something.'”
“If something seems wrong or feels wrong, fight your way through it.” [and] talk to a safe adult,” McKinnon said.
