Police have released a computer-generated image of the man.Credit: Victoria Police
A man who approached a Melbourne schoolgirl and offered her a lolly while she was walking home is being hunted by police.
Police were told the 12-year-old girl was walking along Arthurs Creek Road, Hurstbridge, in Melbourne's north-east, on Tuesday afternoon when the man approached her about 4pm.
He then offered her a lolly. The girl declined and ran away from the man, arriving home and telling one of her parents what had happened.
Her parents reported the incident to police.
A computer-generated image of a man who police wish to speak to has been released.
He is described as Asian in appearance, aged 20, with short dark hair, and a tattoo on his right upper arm. He was wearing a black T-shirt at the time.
An image of the man's upper-arm tattoo, as described by the victim, has also been released by police.Credit: Victoria Police
It comes days after police released parts of an anonymous letter which they received after a man confronted a 9-year-old girl in another part of Melbourne's north-east last month.
In the separate incident, the girl was riding her bike to school about 8.30am on November 14 when she was confronted by a man on Skeeter Drive in Mernda.
The man grabbed the handlebars of the girl's bike and convinced her to walk alongside him, however the girl's mother called her on her mobile phone.
When the girl described the situation to her mother, she was told to run.
The 9-year-old was able to flee and the incident was reported to police.
Police appealed for information about the incident in the hours after it happened, and have since received the anonymous letter, which they believe may have been written by the man trying to justify the incident.
Anyone with information about the Hurstbridge incident, or who has noticed any suspicious behaviour in the area, is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au