MURFREESBORO, Tenn.
Murfreesboro police need the public’s help in finding a sexual assault suspect.
An employee at Special Kids Inc. was attacked Tuesday morning minutes after opening for business.
Police said a gunman tied up the victim with adhesive tape before fondling her at the Murfreesboro pediatric care facility. The attacker also used a digital camera to take nude photos of her after she disrobed.
“I was saying, ‘God help me,’” said the assault victim.
The attack happened before any children arrived Tuesday.
The victim said she’s always been viewed as a quiet and weak person, but during the attack she showed incredible strength.
“I opened the front door and put my stuff down and I come out and organized the lobby,” she said.
It was her normal routine she said someone had observed.
“When I tried to go to the lobby and organize the lobby, I turned to my right and that person was there holding a gun towards me,” she said.
She said she was alone in the facility when the gunman walked through the front door.
“He pushed me to a room without lights on and he asked me to sit on the chair,” she said. “Then he took out the tape. He asked me to stand up and put my hands on my back. Then he taped my hands.”
After she disrobed, he took pictures of her body.
Although she said she remained calm, she didn’t remain quiet.
“I said, ‘What do you want from me?’ and he said, ‘I’m not going to hurt you.’ Then I told him, ‘You know what you’re doing is wrong, right?’ And he didn’t say anything.”
“‘That person had to plan, had to put some thought into it prior to committing the crime,” said Kyle Evans, Murfreesboro police spokesman.
He said they were bold to “to actually bring a gun and point it at somebody and sexually assault them.”
Chris Truelove, executive director of Special Kids, Inc., said he didn’t think there was any immediate harm to staff, children and their families.
“There’s been no threat made to the staff, to the children or family,” he said. “So we have no reason to believe they’re not as safe as they were before this happened.”
The victim wants to make sure he’s caught so that she and no one else endure the same pain.
“I just put it in God’s hands,” she said. “I know that he will protect me.”
Police released a composite sketch of the suspect.
He is described as a white man about 5 feet 6 inches tall, possibly in his early 20’s.
He was last seen wearing a dark green hooded sweatshirt with writing across the front of it. He also had on black sun glasses along with a tan baseball cap.
Anyone with information about this incident or the whereabouts of this attacker is asked to call police at 893-1311 or Crime Stoppers at 893-STOP.
Detectives said it appears the suspect familiarized himself with the center’s operating procedures. Special Kids Inc. plans to make a few changes to help keep its workers safe.
