SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – A man is wanted after accusations that he exposed himself to a group of middle school students and tried to kidnap one of them, according to the Sanford Police Department.
Police said that a group of middle-school girls was walking to their school bus on Friday when a man — later identified as Jerral Ugene Wynn, 23 — exposed himself to them. The three girls were walking near 5th Street and Avocado Avenue when they saw Wynn standing by a tree, police said.
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According to investigators, the girls began to walk away from the area, but Wynn followed them and grabbed one of the girls’ backpacks. The girl had to take off her backpack so that she could get away, Sanford police said in a news release.
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Afterward, the girls notified their parents about what happened, prompting investigators to issue a warrant for Wynn’s arrest, the news release shows.
Detectives said that based on the investigation, they believe that similar encounters with Wynn may have happened in the area but went unreported.
“This type of behavior is nothing other than disgusting. Our children should be able to walk to school and never encounter a situation such as this one,” Sanford Police Chief Cecil Smith said. “I encourage anyone who knows of similar incidents to come forward. We need to get this man off our streets immediately before he victimizes another child.”
Wynn is wanted on charges of lewd and lascivious behavior on a person under 13 years of age and attempted kidnapping.
Anyone with information regarding this or similar crimes involving Wynn is urged to contact the Sanford Police Department or Crimeline at 800-423-8477 or click here. Calls made to Crimeline are anonymous, and tips that lead law enforcement to solve felonies are eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000.
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