A 37-year-old Warnbro man has been charged over the alleged kidnapping of a schoolgirl.
Ryan Ashley Darken is accused of luring the young girl into a silver ute as she walked to school in Warnbro around 8.45am on Friday.
Acting Det-Insp. Scott Johnson of the Sex Crimes Division said a parent witnessed her getting into the car and alerted the school.
“They thought that was suspicious and immediately reported it to the school,” he said.
“The school did their due diligence in checking to see if the child was at school and contacted the parents and she wasn’t so police responded.”
The girl was found in distress at a supermarket in Port Kennedy an hour later.
The West Australian reports her hands were bound with cable ties.
She was taken to Perth Children's Hospital for assessment.
Police swarmed the Rockingham area and a short time later the accused was taken into custody.
Mr Darken appeared in the Perth Magistrates Court on Saturday.
He was remanded in custody and will appear in the Rockingham Magistrates Court on September 4.
Ryan Ashley Darken is accused of abducting the young girl. PIC: Facebook
Mr Darken faces four charges including detaining another with intent to prevent/hinder a person doing an act, deprivation of liberty and made a threat to unlawfully do an act.
Acting Det-Insp. Johnson urged parents and carers to speak to their children about stranger danger.
“It’s one of those things that parents need to have that hard conversation with children about stranger danger, and talking to anybody or going with anybody or doing anything online.”
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