Queensland police charge man with 18 historical sexual offences

Queensland police said on Oct. 12 that a 46-year-old Warwick man had been charged with 18 offences concerning alleged sexual abuse of a girl in Brisbane between 2013 and 2018.

Detectives arrested the man at a campsite in Taroom on Oct. 10 after an investigation by the Boondall Child Protection and Investigation Unit. Police said the complainant was known to him. The allegations concern conduct over several years, while the newly announced development is his arrest and the charges.

The charges include nine counts of indecent treatment of a child under 16, seven counts of rape, one grooming charge and one sexual assault charge. He was refused police bail and was scheduled to appear in Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Oct. 12. The police announcement did not give the outcome of that hearing.

Detective Senior Sergeant Derek Harris praised the complainant's courage in reporting the allegations. Police said the investigation remained ongoing. The charges are allegations, not findings of guilt.