Hastings man Aaron Torpy charged over recruiting teens to steal cars
A modern-day Fagin was on six counts of bail when he was charged with running a teen car theft ring from his Hastings home.
A Mornington Peninsula man accused of being a modern day Fagin, allegedly recruited and trained a crew of teens, one just 14 years old, to steal cars and break into houses.
Aaron Torpy, 30 of Hastings, is facing 48 charges over an alleged crime spree that included driving around the Mornington Peninsula in a stolen car with 19-year-old Brian Baxter and two males aged 16 and 14 on board, seeking out other cars to break into and steal.
The alleged operation is reminiscent of one in the famous Charles Dickins novel Oliver Twist where the character Fagin trains orphaned children to be pickpockets.
Court documents revealed Mr Torpy is facing four charges of recruiting a child for criminal activity on the Mornington Peninsula between August 8 and 14.
He also allegedly supplied cannabis to a child on three occasions during the same period.
The offences are deemed serious and carry significant jail terms of 10 years and 15 years respectively.
Mr Torpy on Monday appeared before Frankston Magistrates Court seeking bail after spending 70 days in custody, a move police strongly oppose.
The court heard he was already on six counts of bail when he was taken into custody on August 18 following a police raid at his Hastings house.
During the raid police found footage and audio that allegedly revealed Mr Torpy smoking cannabis with Mr Baxter, a 16 year-old-male and 14-year-old male.
The court heard the audio allegedly captured Mr Torpy discussing with a 16 year-old-male how to unlock Holden Commodores using a modified key ordered online and a plan to visit shopping centres and “wait for V8s to pull up and watch them go in, then you know you have half an hour (to steal the vehicle)”.
Police allege the seized audio also included Mr Torpy encouraging a 16-year-old male to sell the strong painkiller Endone and other prescription drugs.
The pair also allegedly discussed driving stolen cars at excessive speeds.
The court heard that on August 10 a 16-year-old’s mother allegedly visited Mr Torpy’s Hastings house looking for her son.
Police allege she told Mr Torpy she was worried and would report the child missing.
Mr Torpy then allegedly told the 16-year-old his mum had “come looking for him” but that he had “covered for him”.
According to a police informant the audio also revealed a second 14-year-old-boy arriving at the front of the house and Mr Torpy telling a 16-year old male to provide him with gloves and to “make sure they come back”.
The police informant detailed Mr Torpy’s alleged involvement in a string of car thefts in Mt Eliza, Mornington, Capel Sound and Langwarrin.
The vehicles allegedly stolen include a white Toyota HiLux valued at $42,000, a
2017 Subaru Outback worth $19,000 a grey $5,000 Mazda 3 and a $10,000 blue 2009 Holden Berlina.
Mr Torpy has also been charged over the theft of a 2015 Subaru Forrester valued at $25,000 which was allegedly stolen from Spotswood in July.
The bail application was adjourned part heard and the matter will return to court at a later date.