THE harrowing moment a woman was groped and slapped by a complete stranger has been caught on her apartment’s CCTV.

Gold Coast mum Jesse Ratu was buzzing up to her apartment after her morning walk on Sunday, with her partner and two kids inside, when she noticed someone in the reflection behind her.

“I was just coming back from my morning walk when I noticed this man approaching me. I just brushed it off because he was looking a bit lost,” Ms Ratu told news.com.au.

With her headphones still blaring music, it took the 24-year-old a second to realise the man was getting much too close for comfort.

“I could see his reflection walking quite fast up to me and it gave me a bit of a fright to be honest,” she said.

The man, dressed in a white shirt and dark pants, then slapped the 24-year-old on the behind five times before giving her a guilty look and backing away.

The Southport mum was in shock at what had just happened but she was even more shocked at the excuse he offered up for slapping her.

“He said something like, ‘Sorry I just had to, you have the best arse.’”

CCTV footage from the Norman Street apartment shows the man sidling up to Jesse just after 7.30am on Sunday before he rapidly hits her five times and backs away.

When Jesse finally realised what was going on and that she had been allegedly groped by the man, she yelled at him.

“I think I said something like, ‘Don’t f**king touch me.’”

Ms Ratu then rushed inside and quickly shut the door behind her, terrified about what had just happened.

By the time she was back up in the apartment, she was hysterical, telling her partner Brendan Wilson what had just happened.

“I was really upset, by the time I was telling my partner I was crying and screaming. It had really hit me and I’d realised what happened,” she said.

Furious, Mr Wilson ran downstairs a minute after Ms Ratu told him what had happened and searched for the man for more than 20 minutes.

When he couldn’t find him, they called the police and Ms Ratu lodged a complaint, giving an officer a statement.

Since the terrifying experience, Ms Ratu said she’s had a number of people ask her why she didn’t confront the man more but the Gold Coast mum said that was the last thing she was thinking of.

“It took me a few seconds to even realise what had happened but when I did I didn’t want to spend another moment near him. I just wanted to get away and be safe,” she said.

The family’s lease is due to expire, something Ms Ratu said she isn’t that sad about anymore.

“I feel unsafe here [in Southport] now,” she said.

“I usually go on a walk every single morning but I haven’t gone for a few days.”

While Ms Ratu said she used to shrug off comments her friends would make about their “dodgy” street, she said she’s more than ready to get out of the Gold Coast suburb and move to a different area.

“I’m definitely ready to leave,” she said. “I don’t like it at all now that’s for sure.”

Speaking to 9 News earlier today, Queensland policeman Brendan Wiblen said it had been a “very disturbing incident” for Ms Ratu.

“Fortunately for us, such incidents of an unprovoked assault in the street is very rare,” he said.

Police are still looking for the man who is described as being about 1.8m tall and of African descent.

If caught, it’s likely he will face a string of indecent assault charges.

“Hopefully they get him,” Ms Ratu said. “I don’t like the thought of him being around the area.”

Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.