DETROIT (WXYZ) — The search is on for a man accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl in Detroit. Police are asking anyone who has seen the man to contact them immediately.
According to police, the assault happened on the city's east side near the Jefferson-Chalmers neighborhood. We spoke with an expert about ways to keep your child safe.
If your child has a cellphone, make sure they keep it on them at all times. You can use apps like "Find My iPhone" to keep tabs on them as they move from one location to another. Make sure they also know the importance of traveling in groups, as there is safety in numbers.
Kimberly Adkins' 11-year-old daughter, Michaela, went to school with the 13-year-old who was abducted and sexually assaulted.
Police say the 13-year-old girl was walking home from school by herself when the man jumped out of the bushes, grabbed her by the shirt, drug her onto a porch and tried to kiss her.
"He actually physically grabbed her and moved her from one location to another, even though it didn't last that long, that's what makes it an abduction," police said.
Investigators say the girl got a life-saving call from her mother at the time of the attack.
Retired FBI agent Andrew Barnock said technology is on your side when it comes to protecting your kids, even if they don't have a smart device there are still other ways to keep tabs on them using GPS tracking.
Bartnock says incidents like this are the perfect opportunity to have honest conversations with your child about the importance of walking home from school with friends and being aware of their surroundings.
