A magistrate has allowed a man who allegedly raped an 11-year-old girl in rural Queensland to be released on bail despite describing the case against him as “very strong”.
Sean Deo Cusack, 29, was arrested in Mount Coolum on the Sunshine Coast on Monday and charged with one count each of rape, indecent treatment of a child under 12, possessing dangerous drugs, and possessing a drug utensil.
Queensland Police allege he used social media to communicate with the girl before travelling to a town in the South Burnett on December 16 and met with her before the alleged offences took place.
Mr Cusack appeared via video link at Caboolture Magistrates Court on Tuesday where his solicitor said he would be contesting the charges, and said the evidence against him was “primarily circumstantial”, The Courier Mail reported.
“There’s no evidence in the form of medical evidence, photographs, text messages or pretext phone calls or pretext text messages,” she told the court, and described him as an “educated man” who worked full-time for his family-owned business.
But police prosecutor Mel Pyke opposed bail, describing the evidence as strong and saying the “considerable distance” Mr Cusack allegedly travelled suggested a likelihood of further offending.
Magistrate Raelene Ellis said there was a “very strong case” against Mr Cusack, and addressed his claim that he drove for hours at night to buy vapes for $10 instead of $25.
“He would have spent more on petrol … by travelling that distance,” she said.
“In my view he places himself in the area of the criminal activity that is alleged to have occurred.”
But she granted him bail under strict conditions due to his clean criminal record and the estimated length of the court process.
Mr Cusack will face Toowoomba Magistrates Court on February 10 next year over the rape and indecent treatment charges, and Maroochydore Magistrates Court on January 13 for the drug charges.
He must surrender his passport, report daily to police, wear a monitoring device and has a 7.30pm to 7.30am curfew.
Header image credit: Queensland Police
