A bare-chested man offered an eight-year-old boy money in a park and told him to go with him, police have said.
Officers have appealed for information following the suspicious incident in Harlech, Corby, at around 2.20pm on Tuesday.
The man approached the boy in the park, but he refused and ran away.
According to Northants Police, the man is described as being of a mixed raced appearance and was wearing black or brown trousers and was bare chested with a light blue/turquoise t-shirt around his neck.
A police spokesperson said: "I would like to reassure the local community that we take reports such as this seriously and are currently investigating the circumstances of this incident.
"I would urge the man who approached the boy to get in touch with officers to help us understand exactly what happened."
The man, or anyone with information about this incident, is asked to call Northamptonshire Police on 101 quoting reference number 20000419111. Or alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
