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Still no arrest after nearly 1000 tips called in related to 2013 child sexual assault

Posted at 1:32 PM, May 02, 2018
and last updated 2018-05-02 19:20:13-04

ISLE OF WIGHT COUNTY, Va. - It has been five years, and deputies as well as the family of a now 16-year-old girl are still seeking justice.

It was a typical school day back in 2013 when the 11-year-old victim was walking to the bus stop about 100 feet from her house.

Deputies say the child was abducted by a man driving by in a silver Chevy Cavalier and was sexually assaulted during the drive.

Lt. Tommy Potter broke down the evidence for us as we look back into the case. He said the victim told investigators the driver of the car made two stops, during one of which he tied the child up and sexually assaulted her.

She told detectives he asked for directions from a few different people after traveling into North Carolina, asking for directions back to downtown Suffolk.

Eventually, police say it had been about 3-4 hours in the car when the suspect dropped the victim back off at her bus stop.

She described her alleged attacked to deputies, saying he was covered in freckles, he spoke with a slow drawl and had a thin beard. Investigators have put together a sketch that their victim said looks just like the man who took her.

That was in 2013. As of April 2018, the Sheriff's Office has received nearly 1,000 tips and none have led to an arrest.

Thousands of hours, money, other agencies; tons of assistance in this case and it remains unsolved.

The Isle of Wight County Sheriff's Office encourages the public to keep calling in. They refuse to stop investigating, but they ask callers to pay attention to detail.

Tipsters remain anonymous when they call the Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP (1-888-562-5887). The Sheriff's Office is hopeful a call one day can lead to closure for the victim.