Man, 23, charged with abduction and sexual assault of a 6-year-old girl in Greater Manchester

A 23-YEAR-OLD man has been charged with the abduction and sexual assault of a six-year-old girl.

The youngster was allegedly taken into woodland near a disused railway track then bundled into a van on Wednesday.

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The scene in Droylsden, Greater Manchester, where a young girl was allegedly abducted and sexually assaulted[/caption]

Steve Allen

Forensics at the scene on Warne Avenue[/caption]

Lewis Jones, 23, has been charged with two counts of sexual assault by penetration and one count of abduction following the incident Droylsden, Greater Manchester.

Jones, from Liverpool, Merseyside, has been remanded in custody.

He will appear in Manchester and Salford Magistrates court today.

A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said: “We would once again like to thank members of the public for their assistance in this investigation and for engaging with our appeals.”

Officers believe the schoolgirl was snatched on Warne Avenue around 4pm.

She was then led down a path towards a football field and assaulted, it is understood.

The child was reunited with her family a short time later, but parents were warned to be “extra vigilant”.