A Dundee mum has told of her shock after a stranger approached her six-year-old daughter in the Overgate on Saturday and took a picture of her.
The parent, who asked to remain anonymous, said the stranger called her young child “beautiful” after snapping a picture of her while her father shopped in the centre.
According to the woman, her husband and daughter were in USC when they were approached by the man, who was in his late 20s.
He reportedly smiled at the girl, before taking a picture of her while her dad tried on jumpers.
Man took ‘selfie’ with young girl
The horrified mum said: “We all went in to the town, the four of us.
“I have another daughter who’s three and we all went together.
“I’d went down to Schuh with my youngest daughter to pick up my other daughter’s present and my partner went into USC with her.
“She was just being a typical girl, dancing in front of the mirror and her dad was standing right next to her, trying on jumpers.
“He seen this guy coming along and he obviously didn’t think that anything was going to happen.
“He saw him smiling at my daughter and she’s really friendly so she was smiling back at him.
“My husband literally went to put the jumper over his head and this guy pulled out his phone and took a selfie with my daughter in the mirror.”
Dad forced stranger to delete picture
After realising what happened, the shocked dad followed the man, confronting him and demanding he delete the picture.
The man did not speak English, however he was able to reply using Google Translate, calling the young girl “beautiful”.
The man then deleted the pictures before joining a group of several other men who also appeared to be on their phones.
The parents reported the man and his group to staff at the Overgate Shopping Centre, however they were advised to contact the police.
The mum said she believed security staff were already aware of the man before the incident.
However, the centre has said it only became aware of concerns after the family approached security.
Group of eight had phones out
The parents also contacted police, however by the time they arrived the group had left.
The mum added: “There were about eight of them, they kept coming together and showing each other their phones.
“I don’t know what else they were taking pictures of but it already wasn’t right, what they were doing.
“The guy that took the photos was maybe 25, maybe a bit up that way.
“There was another guy with them that was maybe older, 50s or 60s with grey hair.
“Most of them were 20s or 30s.
“They did have their phones out like they were taking videos. It’s a very strange place to be videoing.
“It’s quite scary. If my husband wasn’t paying attention and my husband wasn’t close who knows what could have happened?”
Police: ‘No crime has been established’
A spokesperson for the Overgate said: “Security was approached by the girl’s father some time after the incident took place.
“The gentleman requested security call the police however as security had not been made aware at the time of incident, he was advised he would be required to report the matter to the police directly.
“Had security been made aware of the incident at the time of its occurrence, the team would of course have been happy to help the gentleman.
“Overgate takes the safety and wellbeing of its visitors seriously. Security responded immediately upon being made aware.
“A description was promptly taken by security, and upon checking the centre’s CCTV, security observed what was suspected to be the males leaving the centre.”
A spokesperson for Police Scotland said: “We received a report of a man acting suspiciously and taking photographs at Overgate Shopping Centre, Dundee, around 1.10pm on Saturday, May 7.
“Officers attended and carried out inquiries. No crime has been established and advice was given.”
