Watching Out For Your Children's Safety

Tulsa Police are investigating an incident in which a Tulsa girl was approached by a man in a bathroom at a busy medical building in midtown Tulsa last month. <br/><br/>News on 6 crime reporter Lori Fullbright

Friday, January 5th 2007, 10:07 am

By: News On 6

Tulsa Police are investigating an incident in which a Tulsa girl was approached by a man in a bathroom at a busy medical building in midtown Tulsa last month.

News on 6 crime reporter Lori Fullbright says this happened the day after Christmas and Tulsa Police have learned it wasn't the first time.

That concerns the girl's parents most is the man was wearing a security guard uniform. The medical building is a busy place, not the type of place you'd think someone would try something so brazen.

A father brought his two children to a dentist appointment and his 8-year-old daughter needed to use the bathroom. He let her go ahead, down the hallway to the bathroom, then soon followed and waited outside the door.

The victimâ€™s mother Molly: "We thought she would be safe. It was a medical building, during the day." Molly's daughter says a man in a uniform was peering at her through the crack in the stall door, then got down on the floor as if to reach or crawl in after her. Then, he told her to come out. "He made the comment, don't make me come in there and get you. She yelled, who are you, what are you doing, why are you talking to me, don't hurt me."

Her father was just standing outside the door and when he heard her scream. He immediately opened the door to go in and get his daughter and out walks a man in a security guard uniform. He politely said excuse me, then quickly got away from there.

When Tulsa Police canvassed the building, they learned at least one, maybe two other women had been in that same bathroom, when a man reached under the stall to grab their leg, but those cases were never reported.

Police say report everything, even if it seems minor. Tulsa Police Sgt. Gary Stansill: "They think I can live with it, say an indecent exposure or a groping. People just say, pervert and walk about, but, I think they should be reported."

The managers of the medical building placed locks on the bathroom doors, so no one can get inside without a code.

The man was in his 30's, with dark hair in a crew cut, clean-shaven, 5-feet-9 and stocky. He had corporal's stripes on his collar and a badge on his uniform.

Molly is just thankful her daughter did was she was taught in school and at Brownies, to scream when in trouble. She says you teach your kids these things, but never know if they'll be able to use it, especially when facing someone who seems like an authority figure.