Man charged in connection with suspicious approach to child

A man aged in his 60s has been arrested and charged in connection with a suspicious approach to a child in Newtownabbey last week.

Officers responded to the report in the Mayfield area on Wednesday, September 9.

As a result of information provided and subsequent enquires, a 63-year-old man was arrested a short time later. He has since been charged and will be brought before the courts.

The man, who has been charged with a breach of a court order in connection with the incident, is due to appear at Belfast Magistrates Court on Thursday, October 8.

The charges will be reviewed by the Public Prosecution Service.

Posting on the PSNI Newtownabbey and Carrickfergus Facebook page, a PSNI spokesperson said: “I understand this is a very emotive issue and the safety of our children is very much a PSNI priority.

“We thank the community for their help and support and rest assured that this suspect has been swiftly and robustly dealt with.”

They added: “We at Newtownabbey PSNI are aware that this suspect’s name may now be in the public domain.

“The judicial process must now be allowed to proceed without being compromised or interfered with - there is never justification for anyone taking matters into their own hands - their actions may amount to criminals offences which in turn will be investigated.”

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