Ex-employee accused in sexual assault of child in Irving store

A former phone employee is accused in the sexual assault of a 9-year-old girl in the back room of an Irving store where he worked, police said Monday.

The girl had been left at the store to play last month while her mother attended a fitness class next door, police said.

Police also wanted to question any other children who were left unattended with the suspect about any other possible inappropriate physical contact.

Police identified the suspect as Gerardo Strauss, 39, of Mesquite. Strauss was arrested Friday and faces a charge of aggravated sexual assault (child).

For the last year, the girl had been dropped off at Metro PCS in the 1400 block of E. Grauwyler Road while her mother attended the class, police said.

On April 18, the girl made an outcry that she had been inappropriately touched by a man in the store.

During a forensic interview, the girl described being taken to a back room in the store on several occasions by a male employee where he sexually assaulted her, police said.

Gerardo was in the Irving Jail Monday in lieu of $100,000 bail.

This story was originally published May 15, 2017 at 4:27 PM with the headline "Ex-employee accused in sexual assault of child in Irving store."