Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Nine-year-old reports assault near city trail

A nine-year-old girl has reported being sexually assaulted while walking on the Gurdon Walking Trail. The report was taken Wednesday, Jan. 31, but officers working on the case say its unclear when the assault took place.

According to a police report on file at the Gurdon Police Department, the girl told police that she was walking on the trail when she was approached by a man who asked if she liked his new shoes. The report states that after she answered him, he placed his hand over her mouth, picked her up and carried her into an old trailer near the Gurdon Primary School.

The report indicates that the incident occurred in the trailer, and that the assault consisted of the man striking the girl. The nature of the assault apparently led police to the charge of sexual assault.

The girl was then let go and allowed to leave, the report states.

The victim was able to give police a positive identification of the suspect, according to the report. However, no arrest has been made at press time.

The report did not indicate whether the girl was alone when she was approached by the man or the exact time of day the incident occurred. The child apparently withheld the information from her mother for at least a few days. Gurdon Police Officer Chris Russell, who is working the case, said the victim taken by her mother to the Gurdon Police Department to file the report after a trip to the emergency room.

In an unrelated report on file at the Gurdon Police Department, a resident of Crayton Street reported being battered on Jan. 28.