Where does the notion of the pedophile ice cream man come from?
As a young child, my parents told me to "look out for strangers," and the guy to look out for invariable drove an ice cream truck. (aside: I did not realize "stranger" meant anyone you are not acquainted with. I thought "stranger" only referred to this strange-looking, highly suspect character.)

In elementary and middle school, my schoolmates had the same idea, but I heard this story from my parents long before attending kindergarten. I suspect they did, too.

This makes me wonder if the ice cream truck pedophile is a widespread trope.

i) If this indeed is a widespread trope, what is its origin? Was there a highly publicized case of a serial pedophile using an ice cream truck as a lure?

ii) How and why was this story popularized? Was the US government or some organization for the safety of children involved?