Sensational breakthrough: Police are looking for a man who sexually abused young British girls in the resort where Madeleine McCann went missing in 2007
British detectives announced their astonishing breakthrough today as it emerged three of the reports linked to the same man were only reported to them after they launched a fresh appeal for information last October.
The tanned, dark-haired man is suspected of breaking into holiday properties where British families were staying and sexually abusing five white British girls aged between seven and 10, Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood said today.
The sex attacks took place between 2004-2006, shortly before Madeleine vanished in 2007, and are among a series of 12 break-ins to holiday homes in the Algarve that police believe were committed by the same man.
In six of the break-ins, the man sat on or got into bed with young girls. On one occasion, he abused two young girls in the same villa.
Two of the attacks were in the resort of Praia da Luz, where Madeleine was staying in a holiday apartment with her family when she was taken.
There were also four in Carvoeiro and six in the Vale da Parra, Praia da Gale district.
Most of the attacks took place in low season, police said.
They had previously been discounted by Portuguese investigators because they are spread over a wide geographical area and there were no apparent attempts at abduction.
Nine of the 12 incidents were reported to Portuguese police at the time they happened, and details of three of those became known to British investigators only after they made televised appeals last autumn.
Witnesses describe the man as having dark, tanned skin with short dark unkempt hair. He spoke in English with a foreign accent, his voice was described as slow, or possibly slurred.
He was sometimes bare chested, some describe him as having a pot belly, and three victims said that he had a noticeable odour.
On two occasions in Vale de Parra and Praia da Gale he was wearing a distinctive burgundy long sleeve top, on one of those occasions it was described as having a white circle on the back.
DCI Redwood said: 'This is an offender who has got a very, very unhealthy interest in young, white, female children whom he is attacking whilst they are on holiday in their beds.'
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New clue: Detectives on the Madeleine case say the man they are looking for wore a distinctive burgundy top
On two occasions, they said, the noise of a bin collection lorry could be heard nearby.
DCI Redwood said today that tracing the man is one of his priority lines of inquiry.
He said: 'We need to establish the identity of this man - these offences are very serious and no-one has been charged in connection with them.'
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