Abduction charge, Gracemere
Rockhampton police have charged a man after he allegedly formed an online relationship with a 15-year-old girl and made plans to transport her interstate.
It will be alleged the 24-year-old man made contact with the girl via Facebook when he resided in South Australia and had been attempting to persuade her to visit him.
It will be further alleged that sometime around June 5 the man drove from Sydney to Rockhampton where he picked up the girl who had gone missing from home and drove to a nearby location.
Police located the man and girl on June 8 along Emu Park Road.
The man had allegedly made plans with the girl to take her back to Sydney, where he currently resides.
He was charged with abduction of a child under 16 and was due to appear in Rockhampton Magistrates Court today.
Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Elliot from the Rockhampton Child Protection and Investigation Unit today thanked members of the public who were instrumental in assisting to locate the girl.
“Her family are very relieved this investigation came to a successful conclusion, and this could not have been done without community assistance,” Detective Senior Sergeant Elliot said.
“This incident serves as a timely reminder for parents to be extremely cautious when it comes to their children’s activity on social media.
“The people you talk to online may not always be who they say they are.”
If you have information for police, contact Policelink by providing information using the online suspicious activity form 24hrs per day at www.police.qld.gov.au/reporting.
Report crime information anonymously via Crime Stoppers. Call 1800 333 000 or report online at www.crimestoppersqld.com.au.
