BREAKING NEWS: Cleo Smith’s alleged abductor is hit with a new charge as he remains behind bars
- Terence Darrell Kelly, 36, allegedly took Cleo, three, from a tent at a campsite
- Will face court in late January for allegedly holding the girl captive for 18 days
- New court records show the Carnarvon man has been hit with a new charge
The man accused of abducting Cleo Smith has been charged with assaulting a public officer.
Terence Darrell Kelly, 36, allegedly took the three-year-old from a tent at the Quobba Blowholes campsite on October 16 and held her captive at a home in Carnarvon, north of Perth, for 18 days.
He will face Carnarvon Magistrates Court on January 24 for a string of alleged offences, including forcibly taking a child under 16.
New court records show he has also been hit with an assault charge.
The man accused of abducting Cleo Smith (pictured) has been charged with assaulting an officer
Terence Darrell Kelly (pictured) remains behind bars in a maximum-security remand prison in Perth
It is not known whether the charges relate to a prison or police officer.
Following his arrest, Kelly bashed his head against a wall while he was in police custody.
He was flown to Perth on a chartered flight with officers from the Department of Justice’s special operations group.
The alleged kidnapper has not entered a plea or applied for bail.
Cleo was found alive and well in early November, almost three weeks after she went missing from the campsite.
She was rescued from a property just minutes from her family home in the nearby town of Carnarvon, almost 1000km north of Perth.
Police forced entry to the home and found Cleo alone in a room, physically unharmed and playing with toys.
Kelly was arrested on a nearby street around the same time. He is alleged to have acted alone and is yet to enter a plea to his charges.
Police say he has no connection to Cleo’s family.
More to come
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