The North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP are investigating after a 72-year-old man named Michael Cridland was arrested for attempting to touch a 13-year-old girl at a Duncan McDonald’s.
On Monday, November 4th at around noon, RCMP responded to a report of sexual interference at a Duncan McDonald’s location in the 5800-block of the Trans-Canada Highway.
Sexual interference is defined by the criminal code as when a person touches any part of the body of a person who is under 16-years-old for a sexual purpose.
According to police, an officer was able to attend immediately and began their investigation. They quickly determined that Cridland attempted to touch the teenage girl in an unwanted, sexual way.
“This incident occurred during the lunch hour when many customers were present including a number of youth from the junior high school,” said Sergeant Chris Manseau, spokesperson for the BC RCMP.
“The male was arrested without incident and charged with sexual interference.”
Cridland has no fixed address in Duncan and has since been released with a court date in January 2023.
Police say he has several conditions of release to abide by, including no contact with the victim, he is not allowed in the McDonald’s located at 5883 Trans-Canada Highway and he is not to be in the presence of anyone under the age of 16-years-old without a sober adult present.
The investigation is ongoing and police are still speaking with witnesses who were present during the incident.
Police ask that anyone who was present at the time of the incident, has first hand knowledge, and hasn’t yet been contacted by the North Cowichan Duncan RCMP, contact them at (250) 748-5522.
