Man awaiting trial for allegedly drugging a 13-year-old girl before sexually assaulting her is granted BAIL - and Covid is partly to blame
- Harley Jake Wills accused of sexually abusing the girl in April and May last year
- Wills, 31, also allegedly drugged the teenage girl and is awaiting trial
- Wills was granted bail due to health conditions and ongoing Covid-19 crisis
- He is now under house arrest and will return to court on September 9
A Sydney man accused of grooming, drugging and sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl repeatedly has been granted bail as he awaits trial on more than a dozen charges.
Harley Jake Wills is accused of sexually abusing the girl in April and May last year, in a case which Supreme Court Justice Peter Garling in a bail hearing on Thursday described as reasonably strong.
However, Wills' lawyer argued he should be granted bail to await trial for the 27 offences due to a litany of health issues and delays plaguing the justice system due to Covid-19.
Harley Jake Wills is accused of sexually abusing a teenage girl in April and May last year and is awaiting trial (stock image)
The 31-year-old has kidney disease, sleep apnoea and a mild intellectual disability, she said.
Wills had also abided by an AVO put in place to protect the victim in the time between the alleged offences last year and his arrest in July.
'Mr Wills has shown that he can be compliant with orders of the court,' she said.
The victim, as a girl aged 13 and 14 at the time of the offences, was particularly vulnerable, Justice Garling pointed out.
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'It is alleged that the applicant for bail not only took sexual advantage of the vulnerable complainant, but also provided drugs to her.'
But Wills was unlikely to face trial for at least 18 months, he said, and that - combined with his intellectual disability - was cause for bail to be granted.
Wills was effectively ordered into house arrest - allowed to leave only for work, bail reporting or medical and legal appointments.
He will next face court on September 9.
