A man has pleaded guilty to abducting Cleo Smith, a four-year-old girl from Australia who was miraculously found after her disappearance.
Cleo was initially reported missing on October 16 last year after vanishing from her family’s tent at a campsite. Around two-and-a-half weeks later, police discovered her alive and well in a locked house in Carnarvon, around 75km from where she’d disappeared, and was quickly reunited with her parents.
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Terence Darrell Kelly, 36, was later arrested and charged with a number of offences relating to the incident, including one count of forcibly taking a child under 16. He has now pleaded guilty to abducting Cleo.
Kelly admitted to the kidnapping during a video link court appearance today, January 24, from a prison in Perth. In response to a single charge of child-stealing, he replied, 'Guilty.'
He could face up to 20 years in prison, but he's not pleaded guilty to other charges, including assaulting a police officer, which have been adjourned to a later date. Police also said he has no connection to Cleo's family, and it's believed he acted alone in the kidnapping.
He's been remanded in custody ahead of returning to Perth District Court in March, with sentencing expected to take place afterwards. However, his admission has surprised Australian officials who'd been preparing for a lengthy case.
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'Today's guilty plea is confirmation of the excellent policing work and just how strong a case had been presented by Western Australian Police force,' Western Australia police minister Paul Papalia said, as per Sky News.
Officers carried out a massive land and sea search to find Cleo, with many fearing for her safety and even losing hope as two weeks passed without any sign of her.
Upon finding her in the house, Detective Senior Sergeant Cameron Blaine asked for her name, to which she said, 'My name is Cleo.' He then told her, 'We're going to take you to see your mummy and daddy, okay?' Audio from her rescue was also shared online, as well as a photo of Cleo enjoying an ice lolly.
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Ellie Smith and Jake Gliddon, Cleo’s mother and step-father, said they were ‘humbled by the love and support that we have received from not only our local community but the whole of Western Australia and across the country’ in a statement following their daughter’s safe return. 'Our family is whole again,' Smith added.
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Topics: Australia
