Alleged child torturer may have assaulted others: Police
An Eagleby man has been charged with 10 offences involving the alleged assault of a 13-year-old child, including torture, as police say they are considering other charges.
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An Eagleby man has been charged with 10 offences including the alleged torture of a 13-year-old child with whom he was in a stepfather-type relationship.
The 40-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested on Friday and charged with five counts of assault occasioning bodily harm, two counts each of common assault and choking, and one count of torture.
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It’s understood all charges relate to the 13-year-old.
Four of the assaults occasioning bodily harm charges are alleged to have occurred on August 14 to 15, with the torture charge covering August 13 to 16 and one of the choking from August 14.
The balance of the charges are alleged to have occurred on unknown dates between July 1 and August 10.
However, the man may yet face additional charges, after Beenleigh Magistrates Court heard Queensland Police are making “further inquiries”, with at least one and possibly two children, understood to be younger siblings of the 13-year-old alleged victim, to be interviewed by police.
The investigation was being hampered somewhat by the children’s mother, who was “not particularly co-operative”.
The court heard the relationship between the mother and the man, who was born in Victoria, had ended since the alleged offending.
Magistrate Clare Kelly refused his application for bail, citing both the possibility of further charges being laid and the fact the nominated bail address in Eagleby is only 150m away from the family home where the offences are alleged to have occurred.
“I’m concerned by the possibility of (the man) tampering with witnesses,” she said.
Addressing Ms Kelly directly from the glass dock, the man made an impassioned plea for freedom.
“I’ve got no cause to interfere with anyone,” the man said.
“I just want to see my son.
“Being in here makes it hard to see my little boy.”
A brief of evidence will be disclosed to the man’s defence by September 28, with the charges next before the Beenleigh court on October 7.
The man was remanded in custody.