The Great Smoky Mountain Journal

Staff, Wire Reports

Posted: Monday, December 31, 2018 04:29 PM

Man Allegedly Touches Young Boy At YMCA Shower Stall

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (SOURCE: WATE) - Knoxville police are investigating after a man allegedly tried to touch a boy in a YMCA shower stall.

YMCA President Jim Dickson says Sunday afternoon at the Lindsay Young Downtown Y, an older man tried to reach into the shower stall of a juvenile. The young man was able to slap his hand away and get away.

"[We] pulled up all of our safety systems, to double check and find... help the police identify. We were able to do that," said Dickson.

Dickson says the man ran out of the building through an emergency door. They were able to determine who it was and notify the Knoxville Police Department.

"Every month we take our membership and our program participants and run them through a national database to make sure none of them have been flagged as sexual predators," said Dickson.

Knoxville police were not able release any information due to the nature of the complaint and the age of the alleged victim, but did say no arrests have been made or warrants issued as of yet and the case is under investigation.

"This is a trauma. We want to do everything we possibly can to minimize it, but we want to do everything we can. We regret it happened on our property." said Dickson.

Dickson says the YMCA screens all members and program participants and the man was not on the national database they check for sex offenders.

"The most important thing to us at the YMCA is the safety and security of our members and guests. It's gut wrenching to get that phone call to find out that somebody has been attacked or assaulted," said Dickson.

All facilities have been warned about the man and he is flagged in their system, according to Dickson