A teenager who groped a reality TV star while she was out for a morning walk could avoid any punishment.
Ellie Rolfe, who was one of the two winners of season 11 of The Bachelor, met the boy on April 30 at around 7:30 a.m. in the Geraldton suburb of Wandina in Western Australia.
A court heard this week that the 17-year-old rode past on his bike and said “hello” before turning around and using his right hand to grab Ms Rolfe by the buttocks, causing her to drop her phone and shout “f*** off”.
The 17-year-old, who cannot be named because he is a minor, pleaded guilty to indecent assault during an appearance in Geraldton Youth Court on Tuesday, reports Perth now.
The police prosecutor told the court the incident was caught on security camera and the boy turned up at a police station about a week later.
“I’m sorry, I made a stupid mistake,” he told officers.
The teen’s defense attorney told the court the incident was not common and suggested a juvenile court order, which would likely include counseling, might be an appropriate outcome.
“It was a lack of judgment on his part… I’m not sure what programs or interventions the judicial conferences will be able to offer with respect to this type of crime.”
The Bachelors winner Ellie Rolfe, 30, said she was sexually assaulted by a man on a bike during her morning walk.
Magistrate Matthew Walton said he had some concerns but referred the boy to a judicial conference that would determine details to be ordered by the juvenile court.
If this is completed without problems, the court does not impose any penalty.
Ms Rolfe, 30, posted on Instagram a day after her encounter with the boy.
“You won’t see me using this platform to talk about my political views or virtue signal… but this has really angered me,” she wrote.
‘I was taking my morning walk and this guy, probably about my age, rode his bike past me and waved, to which I politely responded.’
She posted a ‘rant’ on her Stories, explaining that a man allegedly followed her on his bike before approaching and grabbing her butt without her consent.
‘He then followed me twice around the block, turned around, came up behind me, completely groped my butt, and then sped off.
‘He knocked the phone out of my hand because it scared me so bad.
‘Speechless! How can that possibly be okay in your head? I’m a huge advocate for mental health and you never know what someone is going through, but this is absolutely disrespectful.
“It’s not even safe to take a morning walk in broad daylight.”
The matter will return to court on September 24 and the boy’s bail has been extended.
The incident comes after her ex-boyfriend Luke, 28, confirmed the couple had split after finding love on last year’s version of The Bachelors.
The beauty therapist who recently split from her TV boyfriend Luke Bateman, took to Instagram with a lengthy message detailing the “scary” event.
Luke declared his love for Ellie during filming and they remained the only couple together after the final episode.
In a statement released to Yahoo Lifestyle Earlier this year, Luke confirmed the split, saying: ‘Ellie and I have separated and would like to keep our relationship private.
‘Ellie has a soul that lights up every room she walks into and I will miss her dearly in my life.’
Rumours of the couple’s split surfaced weeks earlier when eagle-eyed fans noticed that Luke had deleted almost all traces of Ellie from his Instagram page.
Meanwhile, Ellie posted a gallery of photos on Instagram capturing her attending Melbourne Fashion Week at the time, with Luke nowhere to be seen.