The drawing by a police artist shows a thin-lipped, dark-skinned male with a military-style short haircut.

The image of the man who sexually assaulted a six-year-old girl was released Monday by the Surrey RCMP.

It's based on the description provided by the girl's 12-year-old brother, who was forced to watch helplessly as the man took his sister into a wooded area of 62 Avenue near 139 Street.

The road is a narrow stretch of cracked pavement with a ditch on one side and tall trees on the other that meanders through a hilly section of large, farm-like lots with bigger, older houses, many at the end of quiet cul-de-sacs.

On Friday (July 3) the six-year-old girl, her 12-year-old brother and a 15-year-old friend of the brother were walking down the road early in the evening, on a warm day while the sun was still shining.

A man approached them, threatened them with a knife and ordered them into a debris-strewn clearing in the trees.

He told the two boys to stay where they were, then took the girl into another section where he sexually assaulted her.

The parents of the girl did not contact police until late the next day.

On Monday, the mother of the child told CTV News that when her daughter informed her what happened, she could not bring herself to tell her husband right away.

"Because I could not tell her father exactly what happened to her. It was disgusting. It was rude. And no man should hear this about their little girl. I couldn't do it. The next morning I did."

Before the family went to the police the enraged father put up notices in the neighbourhood saying he would pay good money to anyone who would "give him [the attacker] to me."

The woman said her daughter is telling her what happened, a little bit at a time.

"She's scared."

The mother plans to get her daughter counseling "so that she can put this behind her."

Surrey RCMP spokesman Sgt. Roger Morrow said the family has been fully cooperative with investigators since they contacted the police.

Morrow said the girl was remarkably calm considering her ordeal.

"We were very impressed by how strong she was," Morrow said.

"No tears were being shed [by her]."

Sgt. Morrow said dozens of officers were searching the area for clues, and other officers are looking at lists of known sex offenders and going through parole board records as part of the effort to identify a suspect.

"We're casting a very wide net," Morrow said.

"You're going to see a lot of police officers."

He said the sketch should not be considered an exact, photographic likeness of the attacker because it is based on interviews with a 12-year-old.

"It is an investigational tool," Morrow said, "one of many."

The suspect is said to have a slight accent, possibly Hispanic, Asian or South Asian.

He is in his late 20s or early 30s, 5'9" to 5''10", with short black hair.

He was wearing a blue short-sleeved shirt, blue or black pants and shiny shoes.

The three children told police they never saw the man before.

A special tip line has been established and anyone with information about the case is asked to call 604-599-7800.

News of the attacks shocked residents of the quiet rural-style neighbourhood.

"I couldn't believe it. It's disgusting" said Len Kilgour, who grew up not far from the scene of the attack.

"Nothing like this has ever happened [here]. I've never seen or heard anything like it. But ever since they started cleaning up Whalley up there in north Surrey I guess it's kind of pushing those types of people down this way."

The family of the girl has posted a warning sign at the scene of the attack.

Surrey builder Bob Cheema has offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the girl's attacker.

Cheema told The Leader he was dumbfounded when he heard the age of the victim.

He began thinking of his own family of three kids, ages seven, six and three years old.

"I don't want this guy doing this to other kids in the community here," Cheema said.

- with files from CTV News and Kevin Diakiw

dferguson@surreyleader.com