Police looking for suspect who allegedly assaulted kids in swimming pool on Mass. college campus

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — The MIT community is on edge after learning about a man who assaulted multiple children while they were swimming at the Z-Center pool.

“You wouldn’t think something like this happens here in this area and specifically on this campus so it’s really sad,” said Luka Govedic, an MIT graduate. “I really hope that this one bad person didn’t kind of ruin these kids future experiences with pools, gyms, or anything like that.”

MIT Police say they’re investigating five reports of children who were inappropriately touched in the pool on the morning of July 24 before 9 a.m.

Police say the suspect is a man around 30 years old with a mustache, and he was last seen wearing a lime green shirt, and carrying a duffel bag.

Lots of kids use the pool at MIT during the summer, especially with all the camps.

The MIT Day Camp told parents these assaults happened before their camp started for the day, but they’ll now be extra cautious.

“I want to know what will MIT Recreation, what actions do they take to protect the kids because in the summer there are a lot of kids,” said Xing Tian, who uses the pool at MIT.

MIT Recreation sent a letter to the campus community, outlining extra steps MIT’s Department of Athletics, Physical Education and Recreation (DAPER) will take to ensure safety:

Buffer lane: DAPER will leave an empty swim lane as a buffer between groups of minors and other patrons.

Enhanced signage: Although rare, information about how to report any sort of concerning incident will be added to the pool deck. This is in addition to signage in all DAPER locker rooms.

Staff protocol review: DAPER Directors of Operations, Aquatics, and Recreation will reinforce policies and protocols with any staff who work with minors and remind lifeguards to be vigilant.

Increased observation: DAPER staff and MIT Police are working together to increase patrols and staffing to monitor the safety of all who use the pool.

“MIT takes reports of this kind seriously. As a father and MIT community member, I am deeply troubled by this report and am committed to protecting the safety of all who use our facilities, particularly children,” said Anthony Grant, Director of Athletics at MIT in his letter to the community.

There is security at the fitness center and you need a badge to get in. MIT police encourage people to report any suspicious activity while they continue to look for this suspect.

Anyone with information is urged to contact MIT Police Sergeant David J. O’Connor at 617-253-1212.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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