Serious Offender Enforcement Squad is reminding the community about the dangers of meeting people online after a vulnerable teenager was reported missing in early April 2025.
The teenager started a conversation with an unknown person via a social media app. It is alleged the male person lured the teenager to his home, sending a ride-share vehicle to pick him up from his home address.
When family realised the teenager was missing, they contacted police. Officers utilised significant resources including liaising with international counterparts to identify, locate, and apprehend the offender.
Police officers located the teenager and the male offender a short distance from the offender’s home.
A 30-year-old Cloverdale man was charged with the sexual assault of the teenager. He has been remanded in custody and will next appear before the Perth Magistrates Court on 31 July 2025.
Online child sexual abuse can happen very quickly, even at home, without parents and carers knowing. Young people often don’t understand the danger or that what happened to them amounts to a serious criminal offence.
For further information in relation to online safety – please refer to:
• eSafety Commissioner https://www.esafety.gov.au/
• Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation https://www.accce.gov.au/
• National Office for Child Safety https://www.childsafety.gov.au/
The teenager started a conversation with an unknown person via a social media app. It is alleged the male person lured the teenager to his home, sending a ride-share vehicle to pick him up from his home address.
When family realised the teenager was missing, they contacted police. Officers utilised significant resources including liaising with international counterparts to identify, locate, and apprehend the offender.
Police officers located the teenager and the male offender a short distance from the offender’s home.
A 30-year-old Cloverdale man was charged with the sexual assault of the teenager. He has been remanded in custody and will next appear before the Perth Magistrates Court on 31 July 2025.
Online child sexual abuse can happen very quickly, even at home, without parents and carers knowing. Young people often don’t understand the danger or that what happened to them amounts to a serious criminal offence.
For further information in relation to online safety – please refer to:
• eSafety Commissioner https://www.esafety.gov.au/
• Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation https://www.accce.gov.au/
• National Office for Child Safety https://www.childsafety.gov.au/
