Hunt for the Kmart 'child snatcher': Vigilante group vows to take down man who 'tried to persuade a six-year-old girl to get in his car' outside the store after police decide AGAINST charging him
- Sarah Lollback said a man rolled down his window and tried to lure her daughter
- Locals are outraged over the incident at the Toowoomba Plaza car-park
- Details of the man's car registration and address were shared online
- Police have warned vigilantes not to take action but instead to assist officers
Vigilantes have vowed to hunt down a man accused of trying to lure a little girl into his car outside a Kmart after police said they could not arrest him.
Sarah Lollback said the man rolled down his window and called her daughter 'beautiful' at the Toowoomba Plaza car-park in southern Queensland on Wednesday.
Since her story was reported on the front page of the local newspaper, vigilantes online have been trying to track him down and have threatened to harm him.
In one Facebook group they shared his address, pictures of him in public and the registration of his car before the posts were removed by administrators.
Sarah Lollback said the man rolled down his window and spoke to her daughter (stock image)
Johnathan Crew, who runs the group, said he had been 'driven nuts' by moderating the discussion to prevent anyone falling foul of the law.
'I am glad (users) are promoting vigilance but it doesn't warrant six posts a day about this person,' he told the Warwick Daily News.
'That's exactly what I am trying to avoid, the whole sharpening of pitchforks and people getting in line.'
Police have said they could not arrest the man because there was no evidence of any crime - and warned vigilantes not to share the man's details online.
A Toowoomba police statement said: 'Police investigated the matter with no evidence existing to substantiate an offence occurring.
Share this article
'The matter has since been finalised with no further police action being taken.
'Officers treat every complaint of this nature seriously, conducting numerous inquiries and taking action when an offence has been identified.
'Local police are concerned with numerous posts on social media identifying the man involved and are urging the public to be mindful of their actions.
'They are warning those engaging in vigilante activities online that their actions may constitute an offence, cause others to commit an offence, or render themselves civilly liable.'
Recalling the incident last Wednesday, Mrs Lollback told The Chronicle the man rolled down his window while she was walking with her daughter to their car.
Sarah Lollback said she encountered the man sitting in his vehicle at the Toowoomba Plaza carpark (pictured), in southern Queensland, at about 4.45pm on Wednesday
She said: 'He started saying "hi beautiful, hi sis, do you want to hop in the car with me?"
'I was just in shock. I didn't know what to do. I just wanted to hurry up and get in the car.'
She said the pair quickly got to their car where they were forced to drive past the man.
As they drove past, she said the man gestured 'I'm watching you' by pointing two of his fingers at his eyes and then towards the girl.
'I wasn't game enough to go straight home. I went straight to the police station and reported it,' Ms Lollback said.
The concerned mother took to social media as 'a warning to all parents'.
She explained the man told her daughter to get in his car but she told her daughter to keep walking.
Mrs Lollback said the community response from her social media post was incredible.
Comments 0
Share what you think
No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.
