A 63-year-old Calgary man has been charged with sexual assault and sexual interference with a person under the age of 16 after a young girl was allegedly assaulted in a southeast Calgary tailor shop.
The incident occurred on November 21, when a woman and her daughter visited a local business in the 3500 block of 17 Ave. S.E.
The woman ran into an acquaintance who worked at a nearby tailor shop and accepted his offer to let her daughter wait there while she attended to another business.
While the girl was alone in the tailor shop, the man allegedly forced her to sit on his lap and touched her inappropriately, committing a sexual assault.
The girl immediately left the shop and found her mother, disclosing the incident to her. The family contacted police, and the Child Abuse Unit launched an investigation.
On December 12, police arrested Zufan Seyoum Gelete at Absalat Tailor, located at 3509 17 Ave. S.E.
He has been charged with sexual assault and sexual interference with a person under the age of 16. He is scheduled to appear in court on January 22.
The victim and her family have received support from the LUNA Child & Youth Advocacy Centre.
Police encourage anyone who believes they are a victim of sexual assault to report it, regardless of when it occurred. Anyone with information about this or similar incidents is asked to contact police at 403-266-1234 or submit tips anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or through the P3 Tips app.