JEDDAH: A Saudi man has been arrested for allegedly molesting a nine-year-old girl and attempting to rape her on the staircase of a building here recently.

The suspect, aged 30, also allegedly assaulted the girl’s father when he confronted him over the issue, local media has reported.

The suspect has been lodged in the Jeddah governorate police station and the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution is investigating the case.

According to a complaint filed by the girl’s father, the suspect tried to hold and kiss her and also attempted to rape her on the top floor of the building, where they live. The girl, however, managed to escape.

The suspect will be referred to the criminal court in Jeddah after the investigations are completed, sources have been quoted as saying.

The girl’s father said that when he confronted the suspect, he started beating him but some neighbors rescued him.