Mounties are investigating reports of a man surreptitiously taking pictures of a 15-year-old girl at a North Vancouver beach.

The shirtless man allegedly approached multiple underage girls during a recent trip to Deep Cove, according to a Facebook post that's been shared thousands of times by concerned community members.

"[Our friend] noticed this guy talking to his daughter, then walk away, so he didn't think much of it," Gina Hole Lazarowich wrote in her post.

"A short while later he looks over and sees the same guy discreetly taking a bunch of photos of his daughter."

Another teenage girl claimed the same man asked to rub suntan lotion on her back, according to Lazarowich.

Lazarowich also shared an image of a bald man who is holding a professional camera and wearing dark shorts with slip-on shoes or slippers.

Local resident Brooke Thomson said she felt uncomfortable after seeing the Facebook post.

"It's not fair that people should have to be worried for that sort of stuff… It's creepy and it doesn't make you feel good," she said.

Others said they felt uncomfortable in the tight-knit community, and were worried for their children.

"It's frightening to think about. You try to protect your kids as much as you can," said Bruce Gabor.

North Vancouver RCMP confirmed they are familiar with the man in the image, and said he is currently awaiting a court date for an unrelated matter.

Mounties did not release his name or comment on the Deep Cove incident other than to say it is under investigation. An officer told CTV News that they would proceed with forwarding a report to Crown counsel when enough evidence has been gathered.

A neighbour told CTV News that they believe the man has "an unchecked mental illness," calling the situation a tragedy. She said she's worried the public will try to take the matter into their own hands.

And a number of the comments on Lazarowich's post did appear to condone vigilante violence; the RCMP urged anyone who sees the individual breaking the law to contact authorities and let them handle it.

With files from CTV Vancouver's Alex Turner