JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — There are more than 100 registered sex offenders who live in the area surrounding where police say an 8-year-old was sexually battered Monday night.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office continues to question sex offenders after a witness saw the girl walk out of a wooded area across from Jacksonville University and called police.
Police said the girl was out by herself around 6:40 p.m. when she was taken into the woods near the Eagle Pointe Apartments and sexually battered.
Her parents were at a nearby residence, according to police.
The girl was badly beaten during the assault and was taken to a hospital.
Police still do not know who assaulted her.
Action News took a deeper look at the area and learned there are more than 128 registered sex offenders within a two-mile radius of the woods, according to the Florida sex offender registry.
The high number in such a small area poses a challenge for investigators as they continue checking offenders’ alibis.
“We're in the process now of contacting every one of them,” said JSO Chief Tom Hackney. “We have detectives out here to do just that. We are canvassing neighborhoods, canvassing apartments in houses in the general area where the assault occurred, trying to put some of this information together.”
Police said the girl was not able to provide much information about the attack and could only describe the suspect as male.
They are urging parents to keep their eyes on their children.
WJAX
