Police were called to Stifford Road which connects South Ockendon and Aveley (Credit: Google Maps)
The victim was approached by the suspect in Stifford Road at around 5.10pm on Wednesday, 24 November.
He did not injure her during the incident but she was left shaken and contacted police 15 minutes later.
Specialist officers are now supporting the victim while detectives investigate what happened.
The man was wearing a dark coloured hoodie and blue jeans and may have been travelling on a push bike prior to the incident.
“This will of course be concerning for residents and parents but please be reassured that incidents of this nature are rare,” said DS Natalie Roberts.
“Our detectives are working around the clock to follow all leads in the investigation and officers from our Community Policing team will be conducting patrols in the area.
“If you saw anything, or have any CCTV, dashcam or doorbell footage we need you to contact us.
“Even one small detail could help us identify the man involved.”
If you have information that can help police please submit a report online here.
You can also call them on 101 and quote incident 831 of 24 November.
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Tags: Thurrock, Aveley, South Ockendon