Police are looking for a man who they say exposed himself to a young girl Wednesday at the Winter Haven Public Library.
- Incident happened Wednesday at Winter Haven Public Library
- Police say man exposed himself to girl in children's section
- Suspect caught on surveillance video
According to Winter Haven Police, the 7-year-old girl and her mother were in the children's section of the library at 4:10 p.m. They were sitting at a table when the mother got up and walked to another area. The girl remained at the table, reading a book.
Police say that as the mother walked away, the girl heard a sound, like someone was whispering to get her attention. She looked up and saw a white man sitting on the floor between two rows of books.
The man then pulled down his pants and exposed himself to her, police say.
The girl immediately got up from the table and ran to her mother. Police say the man got up from the floor and walked out of the library. By the time the girl was able to describe the man to her mother, he'd already left.
Police say there were several patrons in that section of the library, but not in the direct area of the suspect or the child. In addition, police say the mother didn't see the suspect prior to getting up from the table.
Investigators reviewed surveillance video and determined the suspect had been in the library for quite some time, and that just prior to the incident, he was seen on video in an adjoining room, where he appeared to be watching the children's area.
After about 30 minutes in the other room, the suspect is seen on video walking into the children's room, which is when he's seen crouching between the rows of books, where he sat for about three minutes.
Anyone with information about this is asked to call Detective Rod Esteve at 863-401-2256. To remain anonymous and be eligible for a cash reward, call Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-TIPS.