A teenage girl was reportedly assaulted near Oakwood Pond shortly before 4.20pm today, Wednesday 15 June.
Oakwood Pond can be found near Fourth Avenue and Fold Croft.
The suspect is described as a skinny black man in his early twenties, standing about 5ft 10ins tall.
He wore a dark baseball cap and dark shorts and had black afro hair and facial hair.
The suspect is thought to have fled the area in the direction of Canons Brook.
“My officers remain in the Oakwood Pond area this evening, and you can expect to see an increased police presence in the area overnight and into tomorrow morning,” Detective Inspector Daniela Hogan said.
This assault occurred in a busy area of Harlow, near a cycle track and the main road.
I need anyone who saw a distressed teenage girl or a man matching the description in this area this afternoon to contact my team.
I understand that an incident of this nature will cause concern in the Harlow community, but we have a team of specialist detectives working through the night to move this fast-paced investigation forward.
Our investigations are ongoing, and we are asking anyone who witnessed the assault or has information to contact us.
If you have any information, please report it to https:///www.essex.police.uk.
Please refer to incident 753 from June 15.
You can also contact us at 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously at 0800 555 111.
