A teenager has been arrested over the “prolonged” alleged sexual assault of another boy in a highway underpass in the aboriginal crime-ravaged city of Cairns in Far North Queensland.
Last week police made an appeal to track down a suspect, then believed to be an adult, with a “dark complexion [and] black hair with a fade cut” after the alleged attack on the Captain Cook Highway in Smithfield at about 6.30pm on October 14.
Queensland Police said on Wednesday they had arrested a 17-year-old and charged him with three counts of indecent treatment of a child under 16, three counts of making child exploitation material, possess child exploitation material, taking child for immoral purposes, stealing and graffiti.
The teenager, who cannot be named due to his age, then appeared in Cairns Magistrates Court, which heard allegations he filmed the alleged attack and had a criminal history, the Cairns Post reported.
Magistrate Sandra Pearson described the allegations as “abhorrent” and noted the accused had been convicted of “similar conduct” in 2020 and placed on a restorative justice order, and again in 2023 when he was given probation.
“It’s that level of sinister behaviour that causes me a huge amount of concern … He’s not just a risk to this young boy, he’s of a generalised risk to the community over all,” she said.
“I have to take into account the allegations – these are extremely serious – it was quite prolonged. It’s quite predatory, I have to say, waiting where he was, allegedly, and undertaking various acts – the recording of it and parts of the footage is located … in my view at this point it is a strong prosecution case.
“It also, on the allegations, would have been very clear to (the accused) fairly early on in the event that this young boy was not a willing participant and was being traumatised by what was happening. and he persisted, allegedly, and there have been some threats made about telling people, and what the consequence might be.”
The boy’s lawyer Katherine Shepherd applied for bail on her client’s behalf, saying he had a supportive family would comply with any conditions.
Magistrate Pearson refused bail and the teenager was remanded in custody to face court again on December 2.
Header image: The McGregor Road roundabout on the Captain Cook Highway in Smithfield (Department of Transport and Main Roads).
