Two pre-teen girls, aged 10 and 11, allege that they were sexually assaulted at Bournemouth beach on Sunday.
The authorities were contacted at 3:45 pm after reports of a 43-year-old man had inappropriately touched the girls while they were swimming near the pier, per Daily Mail. The Dorset police subsequently arrested the man under suspicion of sexual assault.
A spokesman for the Dorset police stated: “We received a report at 3:45 pm on Sunday of a disturbance in the area of Pier Approach. Officers attended and it was reported that two girls - aged ten and 11 years - had been touched inappropriately by a man when they were in the sea near to the pier.”
“Following inquiries, a 43-year-old London man was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault.”
The spokesman noted that authorities would continue patrolling the beach and surrounding area as part of a summer patrol operation with partners to have a visible presence and tackle reports of crime and antisocial behavior.
Detective Constable Cameron Carter stated: “We are carrying out a detailed investigation into these incidents and I am keen to hear from anyone who witnessed what happened who has not already spoken to police.”
“I would also urge anyone with relevant mobile phone footage to please get in touch.”
The accusations are the latest to come out of the area. The report noted that there was another accusation of sexual assault earlier this month, when a 17-year-old boy said he was assaulted by a man.
The assault happened after the boy met a group of Asian men while in the water, per the report.
A 19-year-old man is reportedly awaiting trial after a 15-year-old girl claimed that he raped her in the sea. There were reportedly thousands of people around for the holidays.
The case went to the Bournemouth Crown Court, and the accused intended to plead not guilty to all charges.
The alleged rape occurred in the sea on July 18, 2021. It was reportedly the hottest day of the year at the time, and the beach was covered with tourists.
