A man has been charged with abducting a 7-year-old girl from a Kmart in a Westfield shopping centre in North Lakes, north of Brisbane.
He allegedly kidnapped and sexually assaulted her in a bush nearby before returning her to the shopping complex.
The 26-year-old was charged on Tuesday.
It’s been reported that he allegedly took the girl while she was out of sight from her mother.
Following the alleged assault he brought her back.
Facing court in the next week, the man faces charges of taking a child for immoral purposes, deprivation of liberty and indecent treatment of a child under 12.
The shock event was shared in a Facebook post with a concerned mother warning parents to look out for their kids.
“A young girl was abducted from the shop and her mum was right there.”
The post continued, “The mum was looking at something and the child was bringing toys to her mum to show her which ones she wanted for Christmas.”
You can read the full accounts in the post above.
If you or someone you know is affected by sexual assault or family violence, call the 1800RESPECT hotline or visit www.1800RESPECT.org.au. You can also call the Domestic Violence Hotline on 1800 656 463.
This article originally appeared on WHO.
