Sexual assault arrest
An Upwey man has been arrested and charged following an investigation into a sexual assault on an 11-year-old girl in Upper Ferntree Gully.
The incident occurred on 5 September about 4.30pm, when the girl was allegedly sexually assaulted near Willow Road.
A 43-year-old man was arrested on the Ferny Creek bike trail in Ferntree Gully about 5pm on 11 September.
Detectives from Knox Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team charged him with sexual assault of a child under 16 and possess child abuse material.
He has been bailed to appear at Ringwood Magistrates’ Court at a later date.
Kidnapping arrests
Two men from Warburton and Lilydale are among three people that have been arrested over the alleged kidnapping of a woman in July.
Police alleged three people forced open the front door of a Whittlesea property about 10.30pm on 29 July.
The offenders allegedly overpowered a woman, tied and blindfolded her before forcing the victim into the boot of a car.
The victim managed to untie herself and escape from the vehicle.
Whittlesea Crime Investigation Unit detectives have arrested three people in relation to the incident.
An 18-year-old Lilydale man, a 24-year-old man from Warburton and a 36-year-old Doreen woman have been charged with aggravated home invasion and kidnapping.
The two males have been remanded in custody while the female has been bailed.
The trio will appear before the Melbourne Magistrates Court on 8 December.
Covid fine
A Chirnside Park woman who was approached by police over 300km from her home has been issued with a Covid-19 fine.
The woman was allegedly spoken to by police in Horsham and was issued with a fine after failing to provide a valid reason to be in the area.
The fine came as Victoria Police issued 84 fines, over a 24 hour period, on 15 September.
Of those fines, 13 were for failing to wear a face covering when leaving home for one of the four approved reasons, 16 were at vehicle checkpoints and 25 were for curfew breaches.
Regional crackdown
Victoria Police will be strengthening enforcement activities at vehicle checkpoints and in regional and rural areas, following the announcement of eased restrictions in regional Victoria.
Police said the number of vehicles being checked will be increased, while every vehicle towing a caravan or boat and every car carrying a fishing rod or swag will be checked.
It’s expected this will result in significant delays at vehicle checkpoints but Victoria Police said it was a necessary step to prevent the spread of coronavirus to regional Victoria.
Anyone found to be blatantly and deliberately breaching the Chief Health Officer directions and travelling from metro Melbourne to regional Victoria without a lawful reason will be issued with a $4957 fine.
