Alleged child rapist Dandrick Cherel granted permission to camp by Fitzroy River while on bail

A alleged child rapist will be free to camp on the banks of the Fitzroy River with his partner and her baby after being unable to find a permanent residence due to the Broome rental crisis. Earlier this month, Dandrick James Lee Cherel faced court on two counts of sexually penetrating a child under the age of 13, two counts of indecently dealing with a child under 13 and breaching bail. He was released on bail to reside at a Cable Beach residence, however will have to vacate the residence, an Airbnb, within a week. The court was told that due to a lack of rental accommodation, Mr Cherel, his partner and her eight-week-old baby planned to camp by the Fitzroy River. His partner is building a house in Broome, but a shortage of tradespeople has caused delays resulting in their homelessness. The bail conditions prevent Mr Cherel from being within 2m of any child unaccompanied by an adult, which would require Ms Smith to be present with the newborn at all times. Mr Cherel must also have a blood alcohol level under 0.05. The bail was set at a $1000 personal undertaking and has been extended to his next court appearance. In making his decision to allow Mr Cherel to remain on bail despite the change in accommodation, Magistrate Sharratt said he understood police concerns about the situation. “I’ll let him go on bail. I don’t believe it was a ploy and I don’t believe I should have someone taken into custody just because there is no accommodation available,” he said. The court was told the alleged offences involved an eight-year-old female and occurred in 2011. He must report to Fitzroy Crossing Police Station twice a week.