Student grabbed in St. Vital elementary school bathroom by sex offender: Winnipeg police

28-year-old registered sex offender charged with assault, forcible confinement in Darwin School incident

The suspect left the scene before officers arrived, but what police described as an “eagle-eyed” witness followed him by vehicle to a nearby shopping mall, McKinnon said. Police later confirmed the location was in the 1200 block of St. Mary’s Road, home to St. Vital Centre.

With assistance from mall security, officers located the man in the parking lot and took him into custody.

Scott William George, 28, has been charged with assault, forcible confinement and two counts of failing to comply with a prohibition order related to children. He remains in custody.

Court records show George has been a registered sex offender since pleading guilty in 2023 to sexual interference. He was sentenced to two years in prison for the July 2022 offence, which involved sexually touching a person under the age of 16.

His criminal history dates back to 2015 and includes convictions for break and enter, theft, forcible entry, mischief and weapons offences.

McKinnon said the prohibition order was intended to bar George from having contact with children or being in places where children are typically present. She declined to comment on a possible motive or how he entered the school.

“At the end of the day, this is a very disturbing incident,” she said.

“The light at the end of the tunnel is nothing happened to this child physically in terms of harm … and what a brave student.”