Suspect Sought in Sex Assaults on 22 Children

Police are searching for a man who they believe sexually assaulted 22 children during the last eight months as the youngsters walked to school in the central and western Valley, authorities said Monday.

The man, whom police describe as a black male, 5-10 to 6-feet-tall and weighing 180 to 200 pounds, usually approaches young girls and asks for the time.

The suspect then “grabs the victim’s crotch area with his hand,” according to Sgt. Steve Merrin.

Authorities said his most recent attack was on Nov. 11. Investigators believe the first attack occurred on Feb. 22.

In most cases, the suspect releases the victims after grabbing them. One 9-year-old girl described a similar attacker as having dragged her into the laundry room of an apartment building while she was on her way to school and sexually assaulting her.

The same man may also be responsible for the sexual assault of two boys, ages 5 and 10, on July 30, police said.

West Valley police were unable to provide additional information Monday night about locations of other attacks, other than to say that some have occurred in the West Valley, Devonshire and Van Nuys police divisions.

“There is no specific area,” said Merrin. “He’s hitting all over the place.”

One source with knowledge of the case said police had been unaware of the similarities between the assaults because they took place over a long period of time. When authorities began to notice a pattern, the source said, police contacted schools directly and obtained reports of additional crimes.

The West Valley investigation bears chilling similarities to the case of Robert Lee Donaldson, a paroled sex offender who was arrested in October for abducting and raping three youths on their way to school in Pacoima.

Donaldson had served almost 10 years in prison for sexually assaulting a child in the same neighborhood and had been identified by authorities as a suspect in the case.

For weeks he could not be found. He was finally arrested in Inglewood, allegedly while stalking yet another young victim. Donaldson has pleaded not guilty to the Pacoima attacks and both the stalking case and another rape of a child in Inglewood.

The attacks terrorized students at Hillery T. Broadous Elementary Elementary School and their parents, who organized escorts for their children.

The case was called an example of a flaw in the system by parole officials, who noted that Donaldson’s release was automatic under California law.

Anyone with information about the recent spate of crimes can contact West Valley detectives, 989-8546, Devonshire detectives, 989-8291 or Van Nuys detectives, 989-8747.