Police nab child sex accused

A MAN who was due to face a Townsville court on child sex allegations has been found after three years on the run.

The man, 38, failed to appear in the Townsville Magistrates Court on June 17, 2014, on one charge of indecent treatment of a child under the age of 16 and one charge of carnal knowledge.

Police found the man hiding at his mother’s Rockhampton home. He was taken into custody on Tuesday.

He applied for bail in the Rockhampton Magistrates Court yesterday, as well as pleading guilty to breaches of bail and failing to appear in court. Police prosecutor Julie Marsden said when police located the man, he gave a false name, but once he was identified correctly, the outstanding warrant from Townsville was discovered.

Ms Marsden said he then told police he did not attend court in June 2014 as he believed the matter had been thrown out because there was no evidence for the charges laid in 2012.

Defence lawyer Mark Platt said because of the nature of the allegations, his client feared the alleged victim’s family members would threaten him with physical harm.

When Mr Platt went to order a brief of evidence, police prosecution said the matter had reached committal hand- up in the Townsville courts, so there should already be a brief of evidence.

Mr Platt said if his client was granted bail he would continue living at his mother’s home in Rockhampton.

Police prosecution objected to the bail application because of his criminal history, which crossed into two other states and the fact he had issues complying with bail conditions and failing to appear.

“He is attempting to avoid dealing with these charges,” Ms Marsden said.

Magistrate Catherine Benson ordered the man to pay $ 650 for the breaches and failure to appear.

She refused his bail application, agreeing he was a risk of not appearing and said that if convicted, he would face time in prison.