Ebike rider, 13, charged with sexual touching after girls and women allegedly harassed on northern beaches trails

A Sydney teenager, 13 years old, has been formally charged with ten counts of sexual touching without consent and three counts of offensive behavior. The individual was apprehended on Saturday evening following a strike force investigation into alleged incidents of inappropriate behavior and sexual touching on walking trails in the Narrabeen area of Sydney's northern beaches. The teenager was taken to Manly police station and charged after attending Mona Vale police station around 7:30 pm on Sunday.

The investigation began following a public appeal for information, leading to the release of CCTV images of a male believed to have information about the incidents. The alleged offenses reportedly occurred between October 7 and 8, with each incident involving a male approaching women on the trails, touching them sexually, and then riding away on an e-bike. One of the incidents involved the offender making "inappropriate sexual comments."

On October 1, the suspect is alleged to have sexually touched a woman in the vicinity of Narrabeen lagoon before riding away on an e-bike. On October 2, two women walking near Bilarong reserve reported being sexually touched by a male riding an e-bike between 5 pm and 5:30 pm. Strike Force Mexvo, comprising the state crime command's sex crimes unit, was formed to investigate the incidents, aided by CCTV images released by police.

Supt John Duncan urged the public to come forward with any information about the alleged events, noting the large area of bushland trails in Narrabeen without significant CCTV coverage. The 13-year-old offender was granted conditional bail to appear at children's court on November 4.