A video circulating online has sparked widespread outrage, showing the moment a tourist entered a travel agency in Agia Pelagia, Crete, and brazenly asked the owner how much she wanted for a young girl who was sitting unsuspectingly outside the premises.
Crete: The shocking moment a tourist allegedly attempted to pay for sexual access to a minor
According to information from Cretalive, on the day in question, the man entered a tourist business owned by a French woman, at a time when a 10-year-old girl — a neighbor’s child — was present on the premises, quietly sitting and reading a book.
As shown in security camera footage now in the possession of police, the tourist never once approached or spoke directly to the child, nor did the child look in his direction. Instead, the foreign national appears to have addressed himself exclusively to the female business owner.
According to the same sources, the tourist pointed toward the child and asked the French woman “how much?”, accompanying the question with a gesture toward his genitals. The business owner reacted immediately, demanding: “What are you saying?” The man appeared undeterred, and — still addressing the same woman — allegedly followed up with an equally provocative gesture and the question: “How much do you want?” Realizing his request would not be fulfilled, the man quickly left the premises, while the French woman promptly reported the incident to police.
A post published under the business’s name captures the incident in stark detail:
“This is our new office. And this is the moment a man from a nearby hotel walks in — greeted very politely, as you can see — and asks how much money he would need to pay to ‘buy’ the little girl sitting outside and do things with her.
We of course called the police and contacted the hotel, though we do not know whether any further action was taken. This is absolutely disgusting and we will not tolerate it — not in our space, not anywhere. If anyone can identify this individual, please get in touch with us.
We’re sorry this isn’t a pleasant post, but incidents like this need to be brought to light.
Update: We understand that everyone is angry and upset. So are we. But consider that at that moment, there was a young woman alone in the office responsible for the premises, while a child was sitting outside. Because it was the afternoon, there weren’t many people around.
While we understand everyone’s reactions and what people are suggesting should be done to this ‘man’, it was a truly terrifying situation for those who were there.
The hotel owner told us they would handle the matter. Nevertheless, I intend to follow up with them to find out what has been done.
The real purpose of this post is not for us to track down this individual ourselves — the authorities already have his details. It is to show everyone that something like this can happen anywhere, at any time, and to remind parents how important it is to talk to their children and teach them to stay aware and stay safe.”
The search continues
According to Cretalive, police sources explain that had the man approached the minor directly, an ex officio criminal offense could have been established without the need for a formal complaint. In this case, however, the security footage shows that no direct interaction took place between the foreign national and the child.
Officers called the mother of the 10-year-old girl to the police station, showed her the video, and asked whether she wished to file a complaint. Upon seeing that the unknown man had never directly addressed her child, she declined to pursue legal action.
The business owner took a similar stance. When asked whether she wished to file a complaint regarding the indecent proposition she had received, she also declined.
Despite the absence of formal complaints, police authorities did not drop the case. Using additional security camera footage from the surrounding area, investigators attempted to trace the man’s movements and determine where he was staying. Their inquiries led them to a specific hotel; however, when the video was shown to staff there, the individual was not recognized.
The investigation remains ongoing. Police believe the individual may pose a risk of repeating similar behavior toward other children — particularly in areas where, during this holiday season, many families with young children are gathered.
As of now, the man has not been identified. Police sources note that he may have already left Crete, but efforts to identify him continue.
