Bryce Douglas Foxwell sentenced for child abduction after ‘rescuing’ girl, 14, from Springfield home
A 20-year-old man charged with abducting a teenage girl he met on Snapchat has told a court he was “genuinely concerned” about her home life when he took her from her Springfield house.
Ipswich
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A man who abducted a 14-year-old girl he had met on Snapchat believed he was “rescuing” her from a bad family situation, a court has heard.
Bryce Douglas Foxwell, 21, pleaded guilty in the Ipswich District Court on Monday to one charge of abducting a child under 16.
Crown prosecutor Amy Stannard said a girl had added Foxwell, who was then 20, on Snapchat last year and told him she was 17 years old.
The two talked online for some time before the girl told Foxwell she was actually 14 and that she was fearful of another person and concerned about the way her parents treated her.
The court heard that, after a few days, the girl asked Foxwell if she could live with him and he agreed.
Foxwell “rescued” the girl from her Springfield home about midnight on May 31, 2020.
Ms Stannard said Foxwell pulled up outside her home and the girl climbed out of a window and got in the car.
The girl’s parents reported her missing the next morning.
The court heard the pair headed to Winton.
A few days later, Foxwell and the girl had an argument, which resulted in the girl running into a room and coming back out with a knife.
Foxwell, who was “concerned” about the girl, took her to a hospital where staff called the police, Ms Stannard said.
Foxwell made admissions to police and was arrested and granted bail on June 5, 2020.
Ms Stannard said there were no allegations of violence or sexual misconduct involving the girl and Foxwell thought he was “rescuing” her.
Foxwell’s barrister said the 21-year-old was “genuinely concerned” about the girl.
He said his client was working in Winton, had been homeschooled and struggled with reading and writing.
Judge Alexander Horneman-Wren sentenced Foxwell to 12 months’ probation.
No conviction was recorded for the first time offender.
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Originally published as Bryce Douglas Foxwell sentenced for child abduction after ‘rescuing’ girl, 14, from Springfield home
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