Lethbridge police have charged a 15-year-old boy in connection with a sexual assault and a series of indecent acts targeting females along a city green strip. Police say they responded to the area along the 1500 block of Lakeview Drive on Sept. 16 after a 41-year-old woman reported she had been sexually assaulted while walking along the Coalbanks Trail. Investigators say the woman noticed a young man hiding behind a garbage can. As she walked past, the suspect made a lewd comment. Police allege the suspect then ran after the woman, sexually assaulted her and fled the area. Officers searched the area but were unable to locate the suspect. Further investigation determined the suspect description matched that of a young male reported in three separate incidents involving indecent acts in the same area. Police say the incidents occurred in mid-August, when the suspect allegedly engaged in an indecent act in front of girls walking along the green strip, including an eight-year-old girl. The suspect was arrested in the same area on Sept. 17. The identity of the accused is protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. The teen is charged with sexual assault, indecent exposure and four counts of committing an indecent act. He was released on conditions and is scheduled to appear in court in October.
