Police will allege a 55-year-old tradesman, who was working on a house in Wellington, persuaded an eight-year-old girl to get into his vehicle about 12.30pm on Saturday, December 9. The man drove from the scene.

The girl was reported missing and police from Orana-Mid Western Police District, with the assistance of the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad, initiated an investigation.

Today’s court hearing was told the man allegedly sexually assaulted the girl before returning her an hour later to where she was taken from.

Police at the scene, who had been searching for the child, arrested the man and took him to Wellington Police Station where he was charged with five offences:

• Take person, intend commit serious indictable offence.

• Aggravated sexual assault – victim under the age of 16 years.

• Sexual intercourse with child under age of 10 years.

• Procure child less than 14 years to produce child abuse material, and

• Produce child abuse material.

The man was refused bail and appeared at Dubbo Local Court on Sunday, December 10 where he was remanded to re-appear in the same court today.

In today’s court appearance, the man was once again refused bail and has been remanded in custody to appear again in Dubbo Local Court on Wednesday, February 14, 2018. He is from the local area.

Inquiries continue.

Police are urging anyone who believes they have been the victim of a crime such as this to call Dubbo Detectives or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page: https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au/ 

Information you provide will be treated in the strictest of confidence. People are reminded they should not report crime information via social media pages.