Man who took pictures of girl at Wal-Mart sought

The Collier County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a man who, they say, was using a camera phone to take pictures up the skirt of a teenage girl Tuesday afternoon.

The girl was shopping at Wal-Mart, 3451 U.S. 41 E., with her mother and a younger sibling at about 1 p.m. Tuesday when the younger sibling saw a man taking photos up the 14-year-old’s skirt, the Sheriff’s Office reported. The man was standing behind the girl and putting the phone close to the floor.

When the younger sibling saw him, the man smiled, closed the phone and walked away, the Sheriff’s Office reported.

Wal-Mart officials said they are working with the Sheriff’s Office on the case, and were concerned about the safety of their associates and customers.

The Sheriff’s Office was reviewing security tapes from the store Tuesday afternoon looking for the man, said spokeswoman Kristin Adams.

“If it’s of value, or if we find who might be the suspect, we’ll hopefully put out some still photos (today),” Adams said.

The suspect is described as a white man in his late 20s to early 30s, 5 feet, 7 inches tall, with a medium build, big nose and bushy, dirty blond hair. He was wearing a blue shirt and a baseball cap.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Collier County Sheriff’s Office at 793-9300.