Man, 29, charged with indecent treatment of a child on Sunshine Coast

A court has been told a man who is in the country on a temporary visa is at risk of being sent to a detention centre, after he was charged with sexually abusing a young child at a rural Sunshine Coast home.

A 29-year-old man has risked spending time in a detention centre after he was accused of indecently dealing with a small child.

A man accused of sexually abusing a young child in a regional Sunshine Coast home has been released on bail, with a court hearing he now risked being sent to a detention centre.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared in the Maroochydore Magistrates Court via videolink on Monday to apply for bail.

He is charged with two counts of indecently dealing with a child under 12.

He did not enter a plea and was supported in court by his partner.

The court was told the alleged victim was an eight-year-old who lived at a home he frequently visited.

The 29-year-old is accused of indecently dealing with a young child at a regional Sunshine Coast home. Generic image.

Details of the allegations were not presented to the court, however it was revealed the child allegedly told adults in explicit detail what happened almost immediately.

The court was told the 29-year-old would need to surrender his passport as a condition of bail.

Magistrate Matthew McLaughlin raised concerns, stating the 29-year-old was in Australia on a temporary visa and needed to return to his home country to renew.

Without this he risked being sent to a detention centre, Mr McLaughlin said.

Maroochydore Magistrates Court was told the young alleged victim told adults what had allegedly happened almost immediately and in explicit detail.

Defence lawyer Michael Robinson said his client was not a flight risk, and would live with his partner in student accommodation at Upper Mt Gravatt.

Mr McLaughlin said police had not raised any concerns about the man reoffending in their objection to bail, despite a risk he may have a “penchant for eight-year-olds”.

“If he is attracted to eight-year-old children, there is a risk he is a paedophile ... but given his selective history I cannot think of ... conditions to protect vulnerable children,” he said.

His bail was subject to the conditions he not visit the address of the alleged victim, he report to police three days a week, surrender his passport and not visit any international airport terminals.

He is due to return to Maroochydore Magistrates Court on December 16 for committal mention.

Originally published as Man, 29, charged with indecent treatment of a child on Sunshine Coast