source : the age
A teenager who allegedly attempted to lure a young boy from his local park and followed him down a laneway when he tried to get help was “persistent”, a Perth court has heard.
The 14-year-old, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, appeared in Perth Children’s Court on Tuesday, charged with two counts of deprivation of liberty and one count of indecent dealing with a child under 13.
Police alleged the teen was at Butterworth Park in Koondoola on Saturday when he approached an 11-year-old boy at the basketball courts.
He is accused of trying to lure the boy away from the park, with the boy trying to get help before starting to walk away.
The teenager followed him down a nearby laneway before the boy was able to run away.
Police arrested the teenager and charged him, and he was initially refused bail.
He spent three nights in custody prior to the hearing, where Magistrate Stephen Vose ultimately granted him bail to return to live with his mother.
The facts of the case were not read out in open court, with Vose choosing to read them to himself.
He referred to them as “very serious allegations”, and the court heard the teenager’s “persistence” during the incident was the main reason for WA Police’s concerns about the teenager being out in the community.
Vose granted the teenager bail, provided he does not come near the victim or attempt to contact him in any way.
He will be allowed to attend school and sport training, but must always be in the company of a responsible adult.
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