A horrified father awoke to realise a sexual predator was assaulting his eight year old son in the boy’s neighbouring tent at a Loch Ness-side campsite.
Detectives leading the manhunt gave new details of the “traumatising” sexual attack on the child, who was part of a holidaying family from Europe, at a special media conference at Police Scotland’s Highland and Islands division headquarters in Inverness.
VIDEO: SENIOR OFFICERS APPEAL TO PUBLIC AFTER SEXUAL ASSAULT ON BOY, 8, AT DRUMNADROCHIT CAMPSITE
The deeply disturbing incident happened at Loch Ness Bay Camping in Drumnadrochit between 12.20am and 1am on Thursday, July 31.
The suspect is described as a bald white male, who is around 5ft 10ins tall and aged 35 to 50, but there was not yet a description of what the man was wearing.
CCTV footage from the campsite’s internal cameras is a major line of enquiry, but the public, including drivers with dash-cam footage, is being urged to help with any information, however small a detail, that could piece together vital evidence.
A dedicated team of 12 local plain clothes and uniform officers are investigating the incident, while reinforcements using “national resources” were also being drafted in to help.
Addressing the media, Supt Judy Hill and Supt Calum Smith told of the horrific moment the family, described as Europeans holidaying in the area, realised the attack had taken place.
Supt Calum Smith and Supt Judy Hill. Picture: Daniel Forsyth.
Supt Smith said: “While asleep in the tent, an unknown male to him has come into the tent and has sexually assaulted the child.
“For reasons I’m sure you will understand, I’m not going to go into the detail of the assault, but it was a sexual assault on an eight year old child.
“It was hugely traumatising for the child, hugely traumatising for the family, and will naturally be very worrying to the community.
Loch Ness Bay Camping. Picture: Google.
“It is very unusual for this to happen in the Highlands doing everything in our power to identify the suspect.
“One of the parents, the father specifically, has come out from where they were sleeping and has seen the assailant, the suspect. That’s part of the reason we have got the description we have.
“The suspect fled the area and the family, naturally, reported the incident to ourselves.”
It was revealed the culprit spoke English, but the senior officers said detectives were “keeping an open mind” as to whether they were British or foreign.
A team of 12 plain clothes and uniform officers had been dedicated to the investigation.
Senior officers meet the media to appeal for public help in catching the sexual predator who assaulted an 8 year old boy at a campsite in Drumnadrochit. Picture: Daniel Forsyth.
Additional patrols were being carried out in and around the Drumnadrochit area to help provide reassurance to local people and visitors.
National resources had been used to bolster the investigation, given the severity of incident, while Police Scotland has set up a mobile police station in Drumnadrochit.
The campsite remains open “at the moment” with police “engaging closely” with owners of the campsite.
Supt Hill said: “We do understand that this incident will have a significant impact on the community.
“The incident will be very upsetting and worrying for people living within the community, as well as those visiting.
“We would ask that anyone with any concerns does make contact with us.
“I do want to stress that incidents like this are very rare and we do have additional patrols within the Drumnadrochit area to provide reassurance at this time.
“There will be a large police presence in the area over the coming days.
Supt Judy Hill. Picture: Daniel Forsyth.
“Tracing the man responsible is a priority for Police Scotland and we have a dedicated team working on this investigation, including uniformed and plain clothes officers from the local division as well as some of our national resources.”
Officers are keeping an open mind as to whether the culprit was staying at the campsite or had entered by stealth.
They are also examining whether the individual might have loitered in the vicinity, observing the victim and his family.
Supt Smith added: “I have officers carrying out CCTV enquiries who will be speaking to witnesses and we will be speaking to anyone who was in the area around about the time.
“I want to encourage anyone who was in the area at the time to come forward with information.
“Regardless of how small it may seem, it may be information that allows us to piece together events leading up to the incident.
Supt Calum Smith. Picture: Daniel Forsyth.
“I would ask people to think back. Have they seen anyone acting suspiciously beforehand or immediately afterwards?
“Are they aware of people who were in the area that wouldn’t normally be in the area who may fit the description of the suspect or who may have information they can tell us about.
“Finally, I would ask anyone who was passing through who has dash-cam footage or saw anything of any note, before, during or after the immediate incident, to come forward.”