Child sex accused in court finally

A BURNETT woman charged with sexually abusing a teenage boy has been brought back before a magistrate after skipping two court dates in less than a month.

The 21-year-old is one of three women alleged to have targeted the boy and currently faces one charge each of carnal knowledge, using a carriage service to procure persons under 16, and indecent treatment of a child.

Police will allege the three women repeatedly engaged with the 14-yearold via phone before sexually abusing him in person between March and May last year.

The Burnett woman was due to appear in Murgon Magistrates Court in March but never showed, with defence lawyer Mark Werner saying at the time he had not heard from his client.

“We’ve lost contact with (the woman). She was a no-show for an appointment, we’ve sent texts and tried to contact her,” he said.

The 21-year-old was quickly tracked down after skipping court and charged with failing to appear, but was again a no-show when her appearance was next required on April 12.

She was eventually taken into custody and held for three days before being released with another charge of failing to appear.

The Burnett woman finally fronted the Murgon court and pleaded guilty to both counts this week.

She was convicted and not further punished, with magistrate Andrew Sinclair noting she had likely “learnt her lesson” during her three days in the watch-house.

The charges related to the alleged child sex offences were adjourned to June 21 for committal.

Her two co-accused, who cannot yet be named for legal reasons, were also charged in August last year at the end of the Murgon Child Protection Investigation Unit’s Operation Puma.

Their matters have since been committed to the Kingaroy District Court.