KEY POINTS:
Police are trawling through hours of CCTV footage to help them catch a man who sexually attacked another man in the Wellington suburb of Newtown.
A 21-year-old was subjected to a "prolonged and terrifying" assault after being approached on Riddiford Street early on New Year's Day, police said.
The victim told police said the offender threatened him with a weapon and forced him into a secluded car parking area in Wilson Street where he was sexually attacked.
The man helped police build up an identikit picture of the alleged offender that showed a solidly built Maori in his mid-20s to early 30s with a tattoo on his chin.
Detective Sergeant Zane Smith said today seven members of the public had called police with information about the attack.
He believed that the distinctive tattoo was the key to someone identifying the man.
"Someone's going to know this person and give us a call," he told National Radio.
Police had received a lot of help from businesses in the area who had allowed them access to their security footage, Mr Smith said. "It's just a matter of us going through those."
Mr Smith said the victim was doing as well as hoped, but was traumatised by the attack. However, he added: "He's got good family and friends support."
The offender was wearing a green "50 Cent" rapper hooded sweatshirt, faded black baggy jeans and red and white sneakers, and was about 1.8m tall.
This was the third incident of a man sexually assaulting another man in Wellington within a year although none was connected, Mr Smith said.
- NZPA
