July 21, 2021- 8:10 p.m.
Police are hunting a man who raped a 15-year-old girl in the sea in front of thousands of unsuspecting swimmers over the weekend.
The victim was approached by her attacker when a ball she and her friends were playing in the sea landed close to him.
He threw it back, but started talking to the schoolgirl before pulling her into deeper water, close to Bournemouth Pier, Dorset.
Despite crowds of people in the water and on the pier, the young man then raped the girl under the cover of the water.
The victim was approached by her attacker when a ball she and her friends were playing with landed close to him in the sea in Bournemouth (file photo from Sunday)
The shocking incident took place on Sunday around 3.30pm on the hottest day of the year when Bournemouth beach was packed.
The girl later reported the attack to police, who are looking for people who took photos and videos around the pier.
The attacker told his victim he was 17 years old and had traveled to the Dorset coast from Birmingham.
He is described as possibly of Pakistani descent and with tan skin, between six and five feet tall and of a lean but muscular build with short dark hair.
He was wearing black or gray swimming shorts at the time.
Detective Inspector Wayne Seymour, of the Dorset Police Major Crime Investigation Team, said: ‘A full investigation is underway into this incident and we will continue to support the victim as we investigate.
“I know it was very busy on the beach on the day of the incident, so I appeal to anyone who was around and may have seen what happened, please come forward.
He threw it back but started talking to the schoolgirl before pulling her into deeper water near Bournemouth Pier (file photo from Sunday)
“I would also urge anyone who has been on the beach near the Oceanarium to check any photos or video footage taken to see if they have captured anything relevant.
“I would particularly like to speak to anyone who recognizes the boy from the description given or who saw him on the beach on Sunday.
“This incident will understandably cause concern for the wider community and we would like to remind the public that officers from the local community police team will be patrolling the area and can be contacted if there is any problem.”
