WESTBROOK – A Westbrook man who is accused of trying to lure a young girl from a bus stop faces a felony charge of restraint and a misdemeanor charge of assault.

Steven J. Morrill, 53, of Chestnut Street was arrested Friday and held in the Cumberland County Jail in lieu of $10,000 bail.

Police said that one day this week Morrill approached a young girl who was waiting for the school bus in the Brown Street area and started to walk away with her before a witness intervened.

The witness’s description led police to do an in-depth investigation that prompted the charges, said police Capt. Tom Roth. “Given his past history and the nature of his actions, the potential for something serious to occur was certainly there,” Roth said.

Morrill has a criminal history dating to the 1970s. He was convicted of sexual abuse of a minor in 1993, furnishing liquor to a minor in 1986 and numerous assaults, police said. Morrill was also convicted of arson in 2004 and sentenced to a year and two months in prison. He is not a registered sex offender.

School Superintendent Reza Namin said that in the future, if school officials are notified of safety concerns about a child who is waiting unattended, the school resource officer will be notified.

The school department released e-mails showing how a resident reported that the girl was waiting alone for the bus when she was approached by a strange man.

Staff Writer David Hench can be contacted at 791-6327 or at:

dhench@pressherald.com

 

Copy the Story Link