A Florida man has been arrested in South Carolina for allegedly sexually assaulting a young girl after cornering her in a restaurant restroom.
James McKenzie allegedly followed a child between the ages of 9 and 11 into the bathroom of a restaurant on Decker Boulevard in Columbia on Monday, April 13, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department confirmed.
McKenzie, who police said has prior arrests in Florida, was charged with criminal sexual conduct with a minor, kidnapping and indecent exposure, the sheriff’s department said in a statement.
Investigators claim security video from the restaurant captured McKenzie, 43, staring at the child, who was dining with her family. When she got up to use the bathroom, he followed her, the video confirms.
The footage further showed McKenzie forcing an outer door to the bathrooms closed before going into the women’s room.
McKenzie was seen fleeing the restaurant two minutes later. He took with him the cup he had been drinking out of, cops said.
McKenzie didn’t get far before police found him hiding in bushes behind a vacant building nearby.
According to police, McKenzie allegedly confessed to sexually assaulting the girl soon after his arrest. He was also caught allegedly touching his private parts while detained by cops.
McKenzie was denied bond following this latest arrest. Plea and attorney information for the man was unavailable at press time.
McKenzie has prior arrests in Florida, Orangeburg County, and Columbia for similar offenses, the Post and Courier reported, including indecent exposure and crimes against children.
In a similar case in Ohio in February, a predator exploited a mother’s secret safety knock to gain access to a bathroom in a Five Below store, where he sexually assaulted a girl.
Robert DeWeese was charged with felony rape, kidnapping and more for the alleged incident, which occurred in South Lebanon on February 6.
The mother told the 6-year-old girl to “leave the door locked until she heard the special knock,” which she described to her daughter, prosecutors said.
DeWeese allegedly eavesdropped on the mom’s instructions, according to investigators. He then allegedly used the same special knock to access the store bathroom before sexually assaulting the little girl. DeWeese, according to police, became startled when the girl yelled for him to stop, and fled the area.
The victim’s mother called 911, and DeWeese, who reportedly has a history of sex crime convictions across multiple Ohio counties, was later arrested at a relative’s house.
Police said that he had recently completed a three-year sentence after violating parole violation related to a child sex crime.
