Police are hunting a man who grabbed a 12-year-old girl by her waist and tried to carry her to nearby woods as she made her way to school.
West Yorkshire police said the “disturbing” attack happened in broad daylight in Hunslet, Leeds, at about 9.15am last Tuesday.
The young girl had been walking to school before she was approached by a man she did not know near to the M621.
In a statement, police said: “He grabbed her around the waist and picked her up and carried her across the road towards a secluded wooded area behind an electricity substation.”
The girl managed to fight the man away from her as he was disturbed by a passer-by who phoned 999, police added.
Detective Inspector James Entwistle, of Leeds District CID, said: “The circumstances of this incident are clearly very disturbing and we urgently need to identify the man shown in these images.
“The woman who intervened was able to film him on her phone as he ran off across a nearby park off Moor Road and we also have CCTV footage of him in the area which we are releasing.
“We believe the man is quite identifiable from these images and we would like to hear from anyone who recognises him or who has seen him in the area.
“The victim and her family have been left shocked and upset by what happened and we are continuing to support them as we progress the investigation.
“We recognise the understandable concern that an incident such as this will be causing in the community and we are continuing to work closely with our colleagues in the local neighbourhood policing team to reassure people.”
The suspect has been described as white, medium height and build, with short, dark hair and a beard.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Leeds District CID via 101 quoting crime reference 13190207155 or call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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