13-Year-Old Ebike Rider Charged with Multiple Sexual Offences on Sydney’s Northern Beaches Trails

A 13-year-old boy riding an electric bicycle has been charged with multiple sexual offences allegedly committed against women on the walking trails of Sydney’s northern beaches.

New South Wales Police announced that the teenager was arrested on Saturday evening. The arrest follows the establishment of a strike force dedicated to investigating inappropriate comments and alleged sexual touching incidents on walking trails in the Narrabeen area, which occurred during the initial weeks of October.

According to a police statement released on Sunday, the 13-year-old boy turned up and was arrested at the Mona Vale police station at approximately 7:30 PM on Saturday, following a public appeal for information.

The boy was transported to Manly police station, where he faced charges including three counts of behaving in an offensive manner in or near a public place, and eight counts of sexually touching another person without consent.

Prior to the arrest, police had released CCTV images of a male believed to be able to assist with their inquiries into the ongoing investigation.

Authorities allege that a total of 11 separate incidents took place, targeting girls and women ranging in age from 13 to 54.

The investigation was officially launched following three distinct alleged incidents that occurred on October 7 and 8.

Police stated on Saturday that in each incident, a male allegedly approached women on walking trails, sexually touched them, and then fled the scene on an electric bike. In one of the occurrences, the suspect was also accused of making inappropriate sexual comments.

According to police reports, on October 1 at approximately 4:30 PM, the suspect allegedly sexually touched a woman near the Narrabeen lagoon before riding away on an electric bicycle.

Furthermore, on the preceding Monday, police received a report indicating that between 5:00 PM and 5:30 PM, two women walking along the Narrabeen lagoon near the Bilarong reserve were sexually touched by a male riding an electric bike.

Strike Force Mexvo was established to investigate these incidents, receiving support from the State Crime Command’s Sex Crimes Quad.

Prior to the suspect’s arrest on Saturday, Superintendent John Duncan spoke to the media in Narrabeen, strongly urging members of the public to come forward with any information regarding the alleged incidents.

“As it is a bushland park spanning 8 kilometers, a significant portion of which runs through dense bushland, there is naturally a limited presence of CCTV and cameras,” Supt Duncan explained.

The 13-year-old suspect was granted conditional bail and is scheduled to appear in the Children’s Court on November 4.

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