Woman, 22, facing multiple counts of rape, arrested at hotel, court hears

A 22-YEAR-OLD woman — facing multiple rape charges — was arrested at a hotel where the alleged victim was also present, a court has been told

A 22-year-old woman, facing multiple rape charges, was arrested at a hotel where the alleged victim was also present, a court has heard

• Woman to front court for allegedly having sex with a minor

A 22-YEAR-OLD woman from a remote community in Western Australia — facing multiple rape charges — was arrested at a hotel in Alice Springs where the alleged victim was also present, a court has heard.

Police allege the woman travelled interstate and engaged in a sexual relationship with a male youth during a period of time from October to early November.

She was arrested and charged with 12 counts of sexual intercourse with a child under the age of 16, and appeared in Alice Springs Local Court this week via video-link, but has yet to enter a plea.

Prosecutor Phil Emmett told the court the woman was arrested at an Alice Springs hotel.

“The victim has disclosed to his father that there was a sexual relationship,” Mr Emmett said.

“On paying a bill she was asked by police if the victim was in the hotel room and she told police, ‘No he wasn’t’.

“He was found by police to be in that hotel room at the time of her arrest.”

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Woman to front court for allegedly having sex with a minor

Defence lawyer Cassandra Leonard applied for the woman to be bailed to an Alice Springs residence on the grounds she had no prior criminal history.

”The bail proposal would include no contact directly, or indirectly, not by social media or any other means,” Ms Leonard told the court.

“She agrees not to leave Alice Springs. She’s never been in custody before or charged before.

“Although it is undoubtedly a set of serious allegations … (she) is someone who doesn’t have any prior implications with the court.

”She acknowledges she is in a very serious situation, and has assured me she would comply with whatever conditions for bail,” she said.

But Mr Emmett argued there was a “high likelihood that the victim would be contacted by the defendant again”.

“Our concerns evolve around her contacting the victim and interference with evidence,” he told the court.

“We consider that there may be interference with the testimony of that witness.

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“The accused is apparently adept at the use of social media applications and we consider that she may continue to communicate with the victim if (she has) access to the internet.

“We seek that she not approach or contact directly or indirectly (the victim) or any other witness in the matter … or use any device able to connect to the internet.”

The court heard her mobile phone was seized by police.

A bail hearing will be heard before the court on Friday and the matter was adjourned to February 18, 2021.

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