A LANGWARRIN couple was arrested and charged with child sex offences yesterday, ending weeks of intense speculation.
One of them was nabbed while shopping for groceries in a Dimboola supermarket.
Craig Stanley, 28, was arrested at the Dimboola IGA about 10am. His fiancee, Rebecca Michels, 25, was arrested soon after at a bush campsite by the Wimmera River, in the Little Desert National Park. Stanley led police to Michels.
Detective Inspector Shayne Pannell said the couple came willingly, but looked as if they had lost weight. ''We were tipped off by campers at the national park, and they alerted local police,'' he said. ''We don't know how long they had been there.''
The couple appeared in Horsham Magistrates Court yesterday afternoon. Michels faced the first hearing on four charges - one count of an indecent act with a child under 16, two counts of having made or produced child pornography, and one count of knowingly having possessed child pornography.
She did not apply for bail but Magistrate Richard Pithouse noted that Michels had never been arrested before, and told police to note that because of the nature of her charges she was at risk in the prison system. Michels sat in the dock quietly with her head down during the hearing.
Stanley faced five charges, including one count of an indecent act with a child under 16, two counts of having made or produced child pornography, and two counts of knowingly having possessed child pornography.
Stanley made no application for bail, and Mr Pithouse told police again to note that because of the nature of his charges he was at risk in the prison system.
The couple disappeared a day after Michels' 25th birthday last month, prompting family and friends to launch an online campaign.
But a few days later it emerged that police had raided the young couple's home on October 27 and searched their computer.
After studying images on the computer, police said the couple were wanted over serious criminal offences. The owner of Dimboola's IGA supermarket, Tim Crowhurst, told The Saturday Age that Stanley walked into his shop just before 10am yesterday.
He turned up just 15 minutes after a visit by police, who alerted Mr Crowhurst to look out for a man fitting the fugitive's description.
Stanley left his back-pack at the cash register as he walked in, then started pushing a trolley around. He gathered the kind of things campers look for, including toilet rolls, tinned vegetables, dried potato and cheese.
''He was just pushing the trolley around, buying some bits and pieces,'' Mr Crowhurst said. ''I didn't approach him.''
Instead, Mr Crowhurst reached for the telephone. ''I rang the police, told them he was here in the shop, and within about a minute they were here, and they just walked in calmly, grabbed him, arrested him and took him out.''
Stanley was one of about six people buying groceries. He stood out because he was not a local and because he matched the description just outlined by police.
''He'd only been in the shop for probably five minutes,'' Mr Crowhurst said.
Stanley was wearing board shorts, T-shirt and a cap, and according to Mr Crowhurst, looked very tanned.
Michels' father, Ross McAdie, told The Saturday Age before his daughter's court appearance that police had notified the family his daughter had been found. ''The family is relieved and would like to thank the Victorian police for their prompt action in the matter,'' he said. ''I have actually now spoken to Rebecca, and we'll be flying down (from Darwin) to support her.
''She's keeping her chin up, she was upset but she's keeping her chin up. And we shared a couple of moments, which I'll keep private.''
Mr McAdie said he felt ''relief'' and ''joy'' that his daughter had been found.
''Now we've set our sights upon defending the allegations against Rebecca,'' he said.
Michels' lawyer, Ben Archbold, said he was extremely relieved his client had been arrested.
''This is the first time I've been happy for one of my clients to be arrested, because now I know she is safe and well,'' he said.
''Obviously there was serious concerns for the welfare of both of them.''
With Andy Park and Adam Cooper
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