KEY POINTS:
A 14-year-old boy facing sexual assault charges posed as a cop to lure his young victims, police claim.
The teen appeared in the Invercargill Youth Court yesterday on two charges laid on June 26 following the alleged sexual violation of a young boy in public toilets at Stadium Southland, one charge of sexual violation and a second of impersonating a police officer.
In his first appearance since being charged, the 14-year-old was remanded on bail to reappear in the youth court on July 19.
Judge Graeme Noble placed strict bail conditions on him with a curfew imposed from 7pm to 7am, and also ordered him not to associate with his victims or anyone under the age of 14 years unless he was in the presence of his caregiver.
Following the hearing, Detective Senior Sergeant Brian Cowie, of Invercargill CIB, told the Southland Times both charges related to the incident at Stadium Southland on June 26.
Stadium staff alerted police after the young victim reported the incident and they tracked the 14-year-old until police arrived.
Police believe the boy was also involved in the indecent assault of a young girl in the Waverley Park School grounds on June 15.
He was aged only 13 at the time -- too young for charges to be laid, Mr Cowie said.
In both cases police allege the boy posed as a police officer in order to lure his victims.
Police have also looked into a third incident in toilets at Stadium Southland on May 15 involving a young boy but do not believe the situation escalated to the point where an actual assault took place.
- NZPA
