source : the age
Police have arrested a 14-year-old boy and charged him over a string of alleged assaults on women over a two-week period, upping patrols in the area as they continue to investigate.
The incidents occurred as the women were either walking or jogging, they said, in the area of Lake Goollelal and Shepherds Bush Reserve in Kingsley, and along Hepburn Avenue in Hillarys.
They claim that 14 women were indecently assaulted by the teen as he was riding an e-bike between February 28 and March 15.
The boy, from Darch, was charged with 14 counts of unlawful and indecent assault, four counts of no authority to drive and four counts of using an unlicensed vehicle on a road.
Despite the charges, police are continuing to investigate and “actively review information and conduct further inquiries to ensure all incidents are fully investigated”.
“Police acknowledge the concern these incidents may have caused in the community and reassure residents that additional patrols and investigative resources have been deployed in the affected areas,” they said.
The teen will appear before the Joondalup Children’s Court on April 14.
Anyone with information relating to these incidents, or similar incidents, is urged to contact Crime Stoppers online at www.crimestopperswa.com.au or by calling 1800 333 000. Reports can be made anonymously.
