It happened down the street from the school on Wakeling Street around 7:40 a.m.
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An exact intersection was not provided. The school is located on the 2000 block of Wakeling.
The School District of Philadelphia said the 13-year-old middle schooler was approached by a man she did not know.
"He asked her for her name. He asked her for her Instagram page, then he touched her inappropriately," said school district spokesperson Monique Braxton.
"Nothing like this has happened in this area that we know of," Braxton added.
The girl ran to the school to get help.
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"She told the security guards at the school what had happened. They called Philadelphia police. Her parents were also called," Braxton said.
The student spoke with detectives from the Special Victims Unit.
"We're encouraging students to walk in pairs, to be vigilant about their surroundings, but this middle school student did what she was supposed to do," Braxton said.
The school is also being included in the funding for cameras to provide for safe corridors to and from school.
"The cameras for the Safe Corridors are not being installed soon enough," said Braxton.
Police believe the male may reside in the area.