A 36-year-old man has been arrested following a sexual assault near Ti Tree on Wednesday night.

Police allege the offender was among a group of people who had been drinking near Barrow Creek on Wednesday afternoon. At around 3pm the offender and another man left the area and drove south along the Stuart Highway and the 34-year-old victim and her husband and 12 month-old baby followed them in another vehicle which broke down about 85 kilometres along the Highway.

The offender stopped his vehicle and offered to convey the victim and her child back to their community north of Ti Tree. She and the baby travelled with the offender and his passenger for approximately another 15 kilometres when he pulled the vehicle off the highway and onto a dirt track and stopped the car.

The passenger then picked up the baby from the backseat and wandered off down the track. In the meantime, the offender allegedly sexually assaulted the woman. After the assault the victim located her baby and fled back towards the highway where she was assisted by a passing motorist.

Members of the Regional Investigations Division in Alice Springs together with Ti Tree Police located and arrested the man at Barrow Creek just before 6.30pm last night.

He has been charged with sexual intercourse without consent and has been refused police bail.


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Theresa Kuilboer
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