A courier has been charged over the alleged rape of a teenage girl in his delivery van in Western Australia.
The 39-year-old man met the girl in early May through his work at the courier company in Freemantle.
The courier serviced the areas of Beaconsfield, Hamilton Hill, Hilton, O’Connor, South Fremantle and White Gum Valley.
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The Mount Pleasant man allegedly offered the girl “transport if needed,” WA Police said.
“It is further alleged that in late May 2025, while the victim was in the accused’s courier van, he sexually assaulted her without her consent.”
The driver has been charged with Aggravated Sexual Penetration Without Consent.
He faced Fremantle Magistrates Court on May 28, and is next due to appear on June 19.
Investigations are ongoing, and police have urged anyone with information to come forward.
The Perth courier met the girl about the same time as a US FedEx driver was sentenced to death in May for a delivery van murder that gained global attention.
Tanner Horner, 34, had delivered a Christmas present to seven-year-old Athena Strand’s family’s rural home in 2022 — the parcel was a box of “You Can Be Anything” Barbie dolls for the young girl.
But Athena was kidnapped, and her sudden disappearance led to a widespread search that ended with the tragic discovery of her body two days later.
Athena Strand was kidnapped and killed by US delivery driver Tanner Horner in 2022. Credit: NBC
Horner initially claimed he accidentally struck Athena with his van while making the delivery and then killed her in a fit of panic. But footage and audio from inside the van was later played played for the court.
He could be seen lifting Athena into the van, and then driving away, telling her not to scream or he would hurt her.
Horner then covered the camera, which continued to record audio — Horner asked Athena questions, told her she was “pretty” and made inappropriate requests Athena denied before she was killed.
Horner was set to go on trial when he pleaded guilty in April to her kidnapping and murder.
He has now been sentenced to death. Texas uses lethal injection to carry out executions.
—With NBC and CNN
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