A Detroit man is facing charges following the abduction and sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl last Wednesday, officials said. Cedric Jackson, 59, allegedly lured the young girl into his home after she was walking back from Gompers Elementary School and committed the assault, investigators claim.

"It is difficult to understand that there are those who would sexually assault victims who are ten, and even younger," Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a release, as reported by The Detroit News. The charges against Jackson include first-degree criminal sexual conduct, kidnapping, and unlawful imprisonment.

The child was found over three hours after her disappearance, which sparked an urgent search involving Detroit police and Detroit public schools officers. According to FOX 2 Detroit, the girl's friend had informed her parents about the stranger's approach, which helped police in their search efforts. The 10-year-old victim was eventually found and taken to a local hospital, where she was examined and determined to be OK, physically.

Concerns over the area's safety have been longstanding, "I found out there were around 117 sex offenders that had coerced children under the age of 13 between Fenkell and Grand River," a resident told FOX 2 Detroit. The suspect was apprehended with the aid of information obtained by school officials, and the school police officer facilitated his initial custody. Detroit Police then took over, handling the further investigation.

Details regarding whether Jackson was known to the victim or had a prior history of similar offenses have not been released. Worthy emphasized the unsettling nature of the crime, "Predators are very good at what they do - especially sexual predators. The alleged actions of this defendant targeted a ten-year-old girl," as she stated, as per WWJ Newsradio. With a suspect in custody, the local community begins the difficult process of grappling with another instance of childhood innocence violently interrupted by predatory behavior.