A man from Western Australia has been charged with aggravated assault for allegedly restrain three children with cable ties.
The man reportedly detained a six-year-old girl and two boys, ages seven and eight, after discovering them swimming on an empty property, as reported by the authorities.
It appears that a video that has been shared online shows two of the children bound and sobbing.
The footage has elicited astonishment from state officials and police, who have urged the community to maintain their composure.
Officials reported that the 45-year-old male contacted them on Monday from Broome, situated approximately 1,200 kilometers (2,000 miles) north of Perth, where he claimed to have discovered the children in a "unoccupied pool."
According to Washington Police, upon arrival, officers observed two children "physically restrained" with cable ties; they later located the eldest boy, who had escaped the scene.
Authorities reported that the two children were evaluated by paramedics at the location and were subsequently reunited with their families.
Police emphasized that, given the children's age and vulnerability, the "force used to restrain" them was disproportionate.
The state's children's commissioner, Jacqueline McGowan-Jones, was disturbed by the footage, emphasizing the children's evident fear and young age.
On March 25, the individual is expected to appear before the Broome Magistrates Court after being released on parole.
Recent government data indicates that the likelihood of detention for Indigenous Australians aged 10 to 17 is 29 times that of non-Indigenous minors on a national scale. Ten years old is the minimum age of criminal responsibility in Western Australia.