A man who allegedly drugged and kidnapped a woman before photographing himself sexually assaulting her and attempting to extort a $300,000 ransom for the images has been extradited from Victoria to New South Wales.
The 29-year-old is due to appear in court in Sydney on Saturday after being arrested in Oakleigh East in Victoria on Thursday.
Police will allege he led a group of unknown men in forcing a 36-year-old woman into a Toyota Camry in Epping, in Sydney’s northwest, on Saturday, April 20 at around 6.45pm, before she the vehicle will leave the scene.
Detectives attached to the State Crime Command’s Robbery and Serious Crime Squad established Strike Force Held to investigate the incident.
Police found the woman at 1pm the next day at another location.
She was immediately taken to hospital for treatment after telling police investigating her kidnapping that she had been drugged and sexually assaulted.
The 29-year-old is due to appear in court in Sydney on Saturday after being arrested in Oakleigh East in Victoria on Thursday.
The man was extradited from Victoria on Friday and taken to Mascot police station.
Detectives executed a search warrant at a home in Eastwood on April 22.
They found the woman’s clothing, as well as banned drugs and restraints believed to have been used in the alleged sexual assault, in a dumpster at the home, not far from where the woman was abducted.
The objects were taken for forensic examination.
The 29-year-old man was extradited from Victoria on Friday and taken to Mascot police station.
He has been charged with taking/detaining in company with intent to collect ransom, causing actual bodily harm, knowingly directing activities of a criminal group, aggravated sexual assault in company and depriving of liberty, intentionally recording intimate images without consent, threatening to distribute intimate images without consent. and using narcotic substances to commit an indictable offence.
Police will allege in court that the man kidnapped and drugged the woman before photographing her during the sexual assault and threatened to publish the images unless the woman paid him $300,000.
The man was refused bail and is due to appear at Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday.
Investigations under Strike Force Held continue.
Anyone with information that could assist investigators is asked to contact Crime Stoppers.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Support Service for Reparation and Sexual Abuse 1800 211 028