Sydney: Man accused of horrific abduction, drugging and rape of a woman before demanding $300,000 from her for photos is hauled from interstate to face charges
A man who allegedly drugged and kidnapped a woman before photographing himself sexually assaulting her and trying to extort a $300,000 ransom for the images has been extradited from Victoria to NSW.
The 29-year-old is due to appear in court in Sydney on Saturday after being arrested in Oakleigh East in Victoria on Thursday.
Police will allege he directed a group of unknown men to force a 36-year-old woman into a Toyota Camry in Epping in Sydney’s northwest at around 6.45pm on Saturday, April 20, before the vehicle left the scene.
Detectives from the State Crime Command’s Robbery & Serious Crime Squad have established Strike Force Held to investigate the incident.
Police found the woman at another location the next day at 1 p.m.
She was immediately taken to hospital for treatment after she told police investigating her kidnapping that she had been drugged and sexually assaulted.
The 29-year-old is due to appear in court in Sydney on Saturday after being arrested in Oakleigh East in Victoria on Thursday
The man was extradited from Victoria on Friday and taken to Mascot Police Station
Detectives executed a search warrant at a home in Eastwood on April 22.
They found the woman’s clothing, as well as prohibited drugs and bonds believed to have been used in the alleged assault, in a garbage bin at the house, not far from where the woman was abducted.
The items were taken for forensic examination.
The 29-year-old man was extradited from Victoria on Friday and taken to Mascot Police Station.
He has been charged with taking/detaining in company with the intent to demand ransom, causing actual bodily harm, knowingly directing the activities of a criminal group, aggravating sexual assault in company and depriving of liberty, intentionally recording intimate images without consent, threatening to distribute intimate images without consent and using intoxicants to commit a criminal offense.
Police will allege in court that the man kidnapped and drugged the woman before photographing her during the assault and threatening to release the images unless the woman paid him $300,000.
The man was refused bail and is due to appear at Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday.
The investigation led by Strike Force Held continues.
Anyone with information that could assist investigators is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redressal Support Service 1800 211 028
