Police: Man met girl on social media app, sexually assaulted her

Ardmore, Pa. (WTXF) - Police are searching for a man who they say met a girl on a social media app then sexually assaulted her.

He started with a conversation on a social media app known as Whisper. Within minutes, police say, he was inside a young girl's home in Ardmore sexually assaulting her.

"It's really scary and it's a little too close to home," Ardmore resident Patty Dougherty told FOX 29 Wednesday night.

"I was alarmed, nothing ever happens like this in this general area," longtime Ardmore resident James Tucker said.

Police are now looking for aa man who called himself "Joe". He's believed to be in his early 20's, 5'7" with blonde or reddish hair. He was wearing Timberland type boots and a gold chain around his neck. He also smelled of cigarettes.

"I feel sorry for her. I feel sorry for her parents," Tucker added.

Police say it happened in late April. The suspect and a juvenile female engaged in a conversation on Whisper. The suspect was directed to the girl's home and investigators say he arrived there within 5-10 minutes. She let him in and was then sexually assaulted, according to authorities.

Police believe the suspect could be from the area or may have been driving around the neighborhood while he was communicating with the girl on Whisper. They want parents to know about the app and caution their children about meeting people on social media like this.

A spokesperson for Whisper said the app is rated 17 plus and doesn't reveal user's specific location. They don't encourage meeting up with strangers and they were not contacted by local police. They say they contacted police on Wednesday to offer their help tracking the man down.