Same offender? Detectives investigating two alleged indecent assaults on women walking on Geraldton foreshore

Geraldton detectives believe the same perpetrator is behind two similar reports last week of young women being indecently assaulted by a man on a bicycle as they walked along the Geraldton foreshore. The investigation is ongoing into the incidents three days apart last week, with detectives examining the possibility the two cases are linked. The first reported incident alleged a man riding a bicycle stopped, approached and groped a 27-year-old woman on Tuesday, July 12 about 4pm on the Chapman Road foreshore near Dean Street. Police allege the man grabbed the woman’s buttocks and breast and tried to kiss her, before she pushed him away and he rode away. On Friday, July 15, between 3.45pm and 4.15pm, another woman in her 20s was allegedly indecently assaulted by a man on bicycle on the same walking path, the time near Mark Street. The two cases along the Beresford foreshore occurred less than 500m apart. In the first incident, the man was described as being about 25 years old, dark-skinned, 174cm tall and wearing dark clothing. The description of the man in the second case nor the bicycle or bicycles involved were not released at the time of print. Detective Sen. Const Gareth Lewis said inquiries were ongoing and believed due to the similar nature of the alleged acts they were looking for the same person. “We haven’t arrested anyone and we are still conducting the preliminary investigation,” he said. “There was an assault on Tuesday and Friday and we believe it’s the same person.” Det-Sen. Const Lewis said the community should be vigilant while police reviewed various footage and tracked down the offender. “If we can knot some stuff out today we can release a picture of him,” he said. Anyone with information or with dash cam or CCTV footage of the areas at the times in question or who saw a man fitting the description in the vicinity should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or report the information online.