A Burnaby man has been charged with the alleged groping of a seven-year-old girl on SkyTrain earlier this year.

The single count of assault was sworn against 57-year-old Anthony Dennis Gulbrandsen Friday in connection with the alleged incident on Feb. 2.

Metro Vancouver Transit Police (MVTP) say the alleged victim and her mother boarded the SkyTrain at Commercial-Broadway Station shortly after 7 p.m. The suspect was sitting across the aisle from where the mother and daughter sat down.

During the commute, police say he tried to get the young girl’s attention — allegedly making several lewd and vulgar comments detailing sexual acts he wanted to engage in with the seven-year-old.

It’s alleged the suspect eventually touched the girl’s buttocks before disembarking the train at Production Way Station in Burnaby, where he was confronted by a witness who overheard the inappropriate remarks.

MVTP also received an SMS text report from another SkyTrain passenger regarding the alleged incident.

In an appeal to the public on Feb. 13, investigators released video of the suspect entering Coquitlam Central SkyTrain Station on Feb. 2 before the alleged incident.

Police say the suspect turned himself in after seeing his image in the MVTP media release. He was arrested and released on a promise to appear in court, with conditions not to have contact with the alleged victim or her mother, not to take SkyTrain, and to abstain from consuming alcohol.

A charge of sexual interference was recommended to Crown. A charge of assault was ultimately approved against Gulbrandsen, who is set to appear in Vancouver Provincial Court on April 9.

On that date, Gulbrandsen is also set to face a separate charge of providing false or misleading information to police in Burnaby and Vancouver on Jan. 5, 2018.

Gulbrandsen, who is known to police, has two prior convictions for impaired driving. He received a $600 fine and a one-year driving ban for the June 1998 incident in Burnaby.

Gulbrandsen also received a $900 fine and 18-month driving ban for driving impaired and driving while disqualified in Burnaby in Sept. 1999.

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