Watch CBS News

Holabird Middle School Sexual Assault Suspect Identified

There are new horrifying details about the experience of a middle school boy attacked by a stranger in the bathroom of his Dundalk school.

Suzanne Collins spoke to police who say the suspect entered the school with the intent of a sexual assault.

The suspect told police that he selected the child based on appearance. That child was very courageous because he struggled and fought to get out of the man's grasp. His assailant was later arrested.

Sean Schleigh, 21, is the man police say snuck into Holabird Middle School on Thursday morning, in hopes of having sex with a child.

Court papers revealed the details of the plot Friday. The content is likely to terrify any parent or child.

The suspect was first seen by a school police officer at around 7:30 a.m. Thursday outside of the school. The officer thought the suspect was a student.

Inside, Schleigh told a teacher he was at the school to see his little brother. She sent him to the office.

But instead, Schleigh later confessed to police that he stayed in the boy's bathroom for almost an hour. There, he watched children come and go until he could select his prey.

"He was looking specifically for a small, blond-haired child," said Lt. Rob McCullough, Baltimore County Police spokesperson.

The 12-year-old victim said Schleigh punched him, grabbed him around his arms and began to pull him into the bathroom stall while stuffing a blue sock into his mouth.

Parents are frantic about how anyone with evil intent could easily get into the school building, endangering their children.

"I think we need more security for the kids," said Ieina Trivera, parent. "My son is in there. I don't know, what can I say? I'm getting more in shock right now."

New rules are in place at Holabird Middle School: more questions will be asked to people at the door, strangers seen inside will be escorted to the office.

"One of the issues I've noticed, the office is all the way down at the end, so you have to go through these doors [front doors] and go basically all the way down the hall to get to the main office," said Cindy Mauler, parent.

Schleigh's address in court records is a golf course residence in Havre de Grace. But he used to live in Dundalk, and police believe he's been living there again near where the attack occurred.

Schleigh does not have any sex offender arrests since he turned 18 in Maryland. But he has been arrested for marijuana, for trespassing and recently for theft.

In a bail review on Friday, the judge refused to reduce the suspect's million dollar bail.

The 12-year-old victim said he fought back because he thought about his mother and sister. He also said that he is afraid to ever go in the bathroom again.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.