Police have arrested a 14-year-old boy and charged him with a series of alleged assaults on women over a two-week period, increasing patrols in the area as investigations continue.
The incidents happened when the women were walking or jogging, they said, in the area of Lake Goolelal and Shepherds Bush Reserve in Kingsley, and along Hepburn Road in Hillarys.
They claim that 14 women were brazenly assaulted by the young man while riding an e-bike between February 28 and March 15.
The boy from Darch was charged with 14 counts of unlawful and indecent assault, four counts of disqualified driving and four counts of using an unlicensed vehicle on the road.
Despite the charges, police are continuing their investigation and are “fully reviewing the information and conducting further investigations to ensure all incidents are fully investigated”.
“Police acknowledge the concern these incidents may have caused in the community and reassure residents that additional patrols and investigative resources have been deployed to the affected areas,” they said.
The teenager will appear in the Joondalup Children’s Court on April 14.
Anyone with information relating to these incidents, or similar incidents, is urged to contact Crime Stoppers online at www.crimestopperswa.com.au or by calling 1800 333 000. Reports can be made anonymously.
