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Original poster

Derby toddler suspicious incident

142 replies

Wishfulmakeupping · 09/05/2014 09:31

www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/CCTV/story-21075947-detail/story.html
Just saw this on the news

OP posts:
shakinstevenslovechild · 09/05/2014 09:39

I read that thinking that the bloke probably thought the child was alone and went to get help and felt a bit sorry for him, then I watched the footage and completely changed my mind. Very scary for the poor Mum.

Original poster
Wishfulmakeupping · 09/05/2014 09:43

Yes I thought the same before I watched the video. Thank god the mum turned around when she did. Its chilling

OP posts:
EyelinerQueen · 09/05/2014 09:45

I read the article thinking it was probably an innocent mistake.

The video soon changed my mind Shock .

How bloody awful.

tryingtocatchthewind · 09/05/2014 09:46

Very uneasy about that one, thank goodness mummy turned around when she did.

Fenton · 09/05/2014 09:50

Very scary indeed.

Not sure about the man.

We can't see how long the toddler was walking through that shopping centre seemingly with no-one. It is possible that the man had been watching for a while and thought the child was wandering aimlessly and lost. Although he did seem to lead him off rather quickly.

If he is innocent he will be terrified of coming forward anyway I guess.

TwelveLeggedWalk · 09/05/2014 09:53

It would be interesting to see the footage before they turned the corner.

The boy is following a woman pushing an empty pushchair, so surely if you had GOOD intentions that would be the first person you'd approach to see if he was yours?

But if he didn't have good intentions, it's incredibly brazen/high-risk to take someone so close to a parent. So maybe he didn't see the parent.

It's baffling and quite terrifying really.

meditrina · 09/05/2014 09:56

If a concerned observer with good intentions thought a toddler was unattended, then I'd expect them to alert a uniformed member of staff, or lead the toddler to such a person. Not try to take them out of the shop.

mrsminiverscharlady · 09/05/2014 09:57

I dunno, the toddler was kind of wandering around on his own. I know that kids sometimes walk on their own like that but I could also imagine that to somebody without young kids that it might have appeared that he was on his own.

If the man was actively looking to abduct a child it seems incredibly risky behaviour to do it like that. I can see that the video looks suspicious but I can also imagine it being innocent.

shakinstevenslovechild · 09/05/2014 09:58

If I thought a toddler was lost I wouldn't lead them away, I would stand with them and ask where their parent was and not move from that spot. Most people would do that rather than try to lead them away.

He swooped in really quickly too, and it's even more suspicious that he did it as they were entering a shop, if the Mum turned round 10 seconds later she would have probably searched the shop first.

EffectiveCommunication · 09/05/2014 09:58

It looked like an elderly Man, that is the thing it could be someone who meant well or someone with bad intentions. It is just good the Mum turned around.

hoppingmad · 09/05/2014 10:02

The video is quite worrying, the man seemed in a rush to grab the child and lead him around the corner. Not the behaviour of someone thinking the child is lost.
If you come across an unaccompanied toddler you tend to stand there like a knob, not moving and desperately searching for a toddlerless parent or staff member - at least I do.

MrsBungle · 09/05/2014 10:04

I agree with Fenton. You can't see the bit before the shop entrance, it's possible the man thought the child was on his own. Maybe he was going to lead the child off to the security station. I don't know.

HairyPorter · 09/05/2014 10:06

Wow very scary indeed. Its quite obvious the toddler is following the mum and that mum was keeping an eye out for the toddler and it wasn't wandering aimlessly. Very very suspicious.

shakinstevenslovechild · 09/05/2014 10:07

I see an 80 year old man has contacted the police and is due to be interviewed later on.

Onetwothreeoops · 09/05/2014 10:08

There is now a related link saying an 80 year old man has come forward saying he thinks it's him in the video

EffectiveCommunication · 09/05/2014 10:08

You can't see what it looked like from where the Man was standing. He may have come out of a shop, turned and by that time the Mum was out of his line of sight, all he could see was a lone toddler.

mrscog · 09/05/2014 10:09

Terrifying, I hope it was all innocent, but glad the police are taking it seriously.

I'm amazed that 22mo will walk behind their parents like that! DS still has to be strongly reined/pushchaired/carried and is 26MO, I'm wondering if he'll ever walk around like a normal child!

BuzzardBird · 09/05/2014 10:16

I'm with Fenton on this one. The video footage leading up to this moment I think would be very telling.

Tobagostreet · 09/05/2014 10:16

I think it looks innocent. Gent is walking behind the mum, so can't see that her pushchair is empty (surely that's a reasonable assumption?) - kid is running along, not necessarily 'in sync' with mum - Good Samaritan (from an era when you were allowed to help out without everyone assuming you are a child abductor) sees kid and takes his hand to lead him to security guard?

For those saying they wouldn't take a 2yo child's hand if you thought he was alone, running about lost in a shopping centre -eeek! By the time you located a guard, you'd have lost sight of the kid and they could be worried sick about them actually being abducted or hurt themselves (escalator etc are very accessible and attractive to toddlers!).

curiousgeorgie · 09/05/2014 10:21

I think the mother is quite slow to react.

If I turned round and someone was leading my child away I would sprint over there and grab her. Not slowly turn the pram around and mooch over... Confused

MrsWinnibago · 09/05/2014 10:22

He seemed VERY quick about moving the child though....rushy and fast about it. If you see a "lost" child you'd generally stop, speak to them and stand still....look for a parent nearby....not hold their hand and lead them away.

curiousgeorgie · 09/05/2014 10:22

Agree that the man is a bit too quick to lead him away!

MrsWinnibago · 09/05/2014 10:22

Curious I thought that too but she seems young and lacking in confidence....

CabbagesAndKings · 09/05/2014 10:24

I'm inclined to agree with Fenton too. If he is leading the child to the entrance of the shop- my nearest shopping centre has security guards sitting at a little table just by the doors. If has been watching the child and thinking he was lost, it could have been a case of 'oh gosh, now he's wandering round the corner, I'd better just grab him and take him over to security in case he wanders further'

MrsWinnibago · 09/05/2014 10:25

Why would you though when there's a woman with a pram VERY close by?