Accused Perth kidnapper revealed as step-brother of Cleo Smith’s abductor
A Perth man accused of kidnapping a girl from a suburban park has been revealed as the step-brother of Cleo Smith’s abductor, Terence Kelly.
Ashley Bropho, 39, allegedly lured a nine-year-old child away from a Doubleview park around 10.30am on Tuesday and coerced her back to his residence 300 metres away, where he lived alone.
The Doubleview park where the girl was playing during the school holidays before she was allegedly lured away. Credit:Nine News Perth
WA Police claimed the girl was indecently dealt with and encouraged to engage in sexual behaviour before a visitor to the house interrupted and allowed the child to flee and alert her family.
Bropho and the child were not known to each other, police said.
Nine News Perth revealed the accused man was the step-brother of Kelly, 36, who is facing years behind bars after pleading guilty to kidnapping four-year-old Cleo from a remote campsite in October and holding her hostage in his Carnarvon house for 18 days.
Bropho’s defence lawyer, Elliot Tilbury, alluded to the family connection during Bropho’s first appearance in the Perth Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday when he unsuccessfully argued Bropho’s identity should be suppressed due to a “factually similar” case involving a relative and its potential to prejudice any future trial.
Residents who live near Bropho have spoken of their shock at the allegations.
His neighbour Jo-Lee Ninyette said police, including forensic officers, were at Bropho’s house for hours on Tuesday.
“I’m flabbergasted because I have a girl who is turning nine next month as well, so that’s a shock for me,” she said.
“For the first time the other day I literally let my daughter walk to the shops by herself, that won’t be happening at all.”
Terence Darrell Kelly, centre, boards a plane after being taken into custody in November. Credit:Getty
Doubleview resident Elicia Anders said she was upset an alleged paedophile could be living in the area.
“The police were doorknocking yesterday asking if anyone had seen anything suspicious, unfortunately I was inside with my children, but I feel really, really upset that this has happened in our neighbourhood,” she said.
“This park is used by a lot of people in the neighbourhood, young children, so it’s very scary this could have happened here.”
Bropho was part of a community inclusion program and had a carer appointed to him who was in the area around the time the kidnapping allegedly took place.
Police have indicated they will oppose any bail application.
Bropho was remanded in custody to reappear again on July 27.
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