Police investigating the indecent assault on a seven-year-old Mt Maunganui girl are looking at whether a third incident is linked.

Detective Sergeant Darryl Brazier, of Mt Maunganui police, said he would contact Whakatane police to ask about the sexual assault on a 32-year-old woman in Kawerau in the early hours of Sunday.

She had been attacked while she slept in her bedroom during a burglary.

"It's a long way away, but we won't discard anything," Brazier said.

"I'll have a discussion with them and see if it's related to ours. The biggest issue would be around the description of the suspect.

"We will know really quickly whether it's a similar type of offence or the same person."

Brazier, who is investigating the assault on the seven-year-old girl, was already looking at whether the same offender was behind another incident in Mt Maunganui last year.

He said the facts around the young girl's attack were similar to the indecent assault on a teenager 18 months ago, including the time of day and method of entry.

In the case of the young girl, police believed a man entered an Oceanview Rd house overnight on September 4, and indecently assaulted her in the bedroom she shared with her younger sister.

The mother was sleeping in another room during the time, and found out about the incident when she woke up.

"We are concerned that there is someone out there that has committed this type of crime and we haven't apprehended him yet," Brazier said.

"As far as a serial offender is concerned, we don't know it's the same person."

- © Fairfax NZ News