Police have arrested a man after he allegedly grabbed a young woman, dragged her into bushland and sexually assaulted her in a terrifying nighttime ordeal in Sydney’s inner west.
Jesse Lee Hardy, 27, was arrested on Thursday following a two-week investigation and charged with aggravated sex assault while inflicting bodily harm, choking, kidnapping and stalking offences.
The 23-year-old woman had been walking from Flemington Station through Airey Park in Homebush just after 11pm on Friday, September 18 when she was approached by the unknown man.
She called police in the days after the alleged attack.
On Thursday, police searched a property in Padstow, south-west Sydney and seized several items.
Hardy was taken to Bankstown Police Station and charged with the four offences.
He was refused bail to appear at Bankstown Local Court on Friday.
Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) or the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491.
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Amber Schultz is a crime and justice reporter with The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.From our partners
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: www.smh.com.au
