Rape charges against 19-year-old Adelaide man withdrawn

A teenager charged with rape after allegedly meeting a woman online and inviting her to his home has been released from custody.

An Adelaide man facing rape charges has had the allegations withdrawn by prosecutors. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Mariuz

A teenager charged with rape after allegedly meeting a woman online and inviting her to his home has been released from custody, with the charges against him dropped by prosecutors.

On Monday, the teen, who cannot be named for legal reasons, faced the Adelaide Magistrates Court charged with rape and breaching bail conditions.

Prosecutors previously alleged the man had contacted a woman through a social media platform and invited her over to his house under false circumstances before raping her.

They alleged the victim was then forced to “escape” through a doggie door in the home.

However, the most recent rape charge against the man was withdrawn by police prosecutors on Monday, with the man already released on home detention bail.

“Your Honour, we seek leave to withdraw the counts on the information provided,” a police prosecutor said.

The man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, had rape charges against him dropped in court. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Mariuz

The court was previously told the man was facing six other charges with “exactly the same circumstances as the (alleged) offending on this occasion”. It’s alleged he connected with five different “women and girls” on dating apps or Snapchat and arranged to meet up with them before raping them.

The man remains on home detention bail to face the prior rape charges at a later date, but entered a plea to breaching conditions of that bail agreement.

“The defendant is on bail in relation to (other charges) with the condition that he not use social media. He has then gone on to use social media,” prosecutors said on Monday.

The man pleaded guilty to one count of breaching bail but asked the court not to impose further penalties due to time he had already spent in custody for the withdrawn charges.

The man’s lawyer asked magistrate Simon Smart not to record a conviction for her client because the 18 days he had spent in custody was enough of a punishment.

He pleaded guilty to breaching conditions of his home detention bail. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe

“We are asking this matter be dealt with by way of no conviction or further penalty,” the man’s lawyer said.

“(He) was in custody for 18 days in relation to this charge that has been withdrawn today, and he has been subjected to strict home detention bail.

“There have been no other breaches of his bail, and given his age, I would ask His Honour to impose no further penalty.”

The man was ordered to pay a $150 fine and warned he must stay clear of all social media.

Mr Smart did not record a conviction.

“You’ve got to continue to abide by (bail conditions),” he said.