In a significant development in Sydney’s ongoing youth crime problem, a 15-year-old boy has become the first person charged under the state’s new ‘post and boast’ laws.
The boy is alleged to have been involved in the theft of several luxury vehicles, including a Ferrari and a BMW, from a home in Dural on April 16. Police tracked the stolen vehicles to Doonside, where they also found a knife inside one of the cars.
On April 19, a Mazda CX-9 was also allegedly stolen from Constitution Hill. Officers briefly had the vehicle in their sights, but the chase was terminated on the Great Western Highway. The car was later found abandoned in Northmead, and three people were arrested nearby.
The 15-year-old boy has been charged with 15 break-and-enter offenses and 14 counts of stolen vehicle offenses. He is also the first person to be charged under the new ‘post and boast’ laws, which make it a crime to post on social media about stealing cars or breaking into homes. The teenager faces an additional two years in prison if convicted of the new offense.
The new laws were introduced by the Minns government in March in a bid to crack down on worsening youth crime in Sydney and the regions. An extra bail test has also been introduced for teenagers aged between 14 and 18 who commit these offenses while already on bail for similar offenses.
The arrest of the 15-year-old boy under the new ‘post and boast’ laws sends a strong message that the authorities are taking youth crime seriously. Police Strike Force Sweetenham is continuing to investigate the matter, and further arrests are possible.
