Australia’s youngest killer “SLD” arrested over child abuse material, just weeks after getting out of jail

Australia’s youngest ever killer, who committed murder at age 13, has been arrested less than a month after being released from prison.

Police officers searching for clues in the kidnapping and murder of Courtney Morley-Clarke in 2001.Picture: Gary Graham

Australia’s youngest ever killer, who committed murder at age 13, has been arrested less than a month after being released from prison.

SLD, as they legally must be called, was on Thursday charged with five offences - four of allegedly breaching an extended supervision order and one possessing child abuse material.

Now a man, SLD faced Campbelltown Local Court on Thursday where he made no application for bail and was remanded in custody, until his next court date on April 24.

Australia's youngest convicted murderer, known as SLD, walking out of jail on a supervised order on March 25, less than 24 hours after a judge rejected a state bid to keep him locked up for another year. Picture: NewsWire / Monique Harmer

SLD was convicted of murdering toddler Courtney Morley-Clarke on the NSW Central Coast in January 2001.

The country’s youngest killer initially served 20 years behind bars after pulling the three-year-old girl from her bed in the middle of the night, before stabbing her in the heart with a knife and dumping her body in long grass.

Victim Courtney Morley-Clarke, 3.

Family members outside the victim’s house in January 2001.

He was released in September 2023, under the strict conditions of an extended supervision order - but just one month later was arrested by NSW Police after approaching a woman and child at Bulli Beach.

SLD was subsequently sentenced to 13 months in prison for the breach, before in March being released again, despite the NSW government opposing his release in the NSW Supreme Court.