Child Sexual Assault By Reston Family Friend Reported: Police

RESTON, VA — The parents of a 6-year-old reported their daughter was sexually assaulted by an adult friend of the child's father, according to court documents obtained by Patch.

Fairfax County Police said the victim’s father filed a report of a sexual assault on Nov. 6. The father told police his daughter said a friend of his had touched her genitals at the man’s apartment in Reston earlier that day.

The victim's father told officers his friend may have taken photos of his child and pornographic images may also have been shown to her, according to police.

During a Nov. 7 interview, the girl said her father’s friend had told her to come into his room while she and his children were playing hide and seek in the apartment.

After partly lowering the child’s pants, the suspect rubbed and squeezed her genitals and buttocks, she said in the interview. He then produced a gray tablet and showed her a photo of a girl performing oral sex on a man, as well as a picture of another girl’s buttocks, court records say.

The victim said the suspect “attempted to push her head down to his exposed penis, but she started to cry,” court documents say. The suspect then “kissed her cheek and forehead without permission” and told her not to tell anyone.

Police showed the victim’s father a photo of the suspect to confirm the man’s identity.

The girl’s mother told police she had taken her daughter to the suspect’s house on Nov. 6 so their children could play together.

“The children were playing in a different room, and she was aware [the suspect] was in the home as his wife woke him up to work,” the report says. “She checked on them three times, not noticing anything. After they left, [her daughter] disclosed that she did not want to go back to her friend’s house. When asked why, the disclosure occurred.”

It’s often difficult to know if a child is being harmed, according to Fairfax County Family Services. “Sometimes we may see it happening with our own eyes, but other times we may only see signs of what could be happening. Learn more information about what to consider if you suspect child abuse, how to make a report, and resources to help."

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children also has resources available.