Police: Sex Offender Accused of Trying to Lure 11-Year-Old at Bus Stop

A sex offender in Roswell, Georgia, allegedly tried to lure a young girl to his car, and police are thanking the parent who contacted them about the incident.

Police arrested 71-year-old William Howard and he is now facing charges of enticing a child for indecent purposes, WSB-TV reported on Friday.

In a social media post, the Roswell Police Department announced the suspect’s arrest and detailed the incident:

Our investigation began on 2/16/2022, after a concerned parent reported witnessing Howard approach her 11-year-old daughter from his car while she got off the school bus. The juvenile victim reported Howard offered to give her a ride to her nearby home within their mutual residential neighborhood of Warm Springs Cir.

The department noted Howard did not have a previous relationship with the child. “After witnessing this encounter,” police said, “the victim’s mother independently researched the sex offender registry, located Howard, and immediately notified the Roswell Police Department.”

Detectives established probable cause to arrest the man and on Tuesday, took him into custody and booked him at the Fulton County Jail.

“Howard is a registered sex offender through Florida, previously convicted in 2011 of Lewd or Lascivious Molestation of a Victim 12-15 Years Old,” the department’s social media post read.

A sexual predator is described as an individual who tries to have sexual contact in a predatory or abusive way, and many prey on children, according to WebMD.

“Approximately 96% of child sexual abuse perpetrators are male. About 90% of children who are sexually abused report that their perpetrator was somebody they already knew and trusted,” the website reads.

Meanwhile, Police Chief James Conroy recognized the parent’s efforts.