A woman has revealed the blind panic she experienced after her six-year-old son was almost lured away from her backyard by a strange man.
Jenni Cousens, from Prosperpine, Queensland, has spoken about the harrowing near miss after her young son, Cody, told her he had been approached by a man who attempted to abduct him with the ‘promise of puppies’.
The young boy, who has autism, had been playing on a trampoline when the intruder strolled into the backyard – as an unsuspecting Jenni was fixing the pair lunch inside, she told Daily Mail Australia.
According to the mother-of-three, (pictured) her son was tempted away from the safety of their home while she was with her two daughters by a Caucasian male with athletic build wearing a hat and shorts, aged in his 30s
The mother-of-three said the attempted abductor broke into their Proserpine (pictured) backyard
‘My son could have been the next William Tyrrell, Daniel Morcombe, all the other poor children who were taken by these vile child sex offenders who are opportunistic predators!’ she wrote on Facebook.
According to the mother-of-three, her son was tempted away from the safety of their home while she was with her two daughters by a Caucasian male with athletic build wearing a hat and shorts, aged in his 30s.
But in a sliding doors moment, the six-year-old decided to excitedly alert his mother that they were ‘going to get new puppies to play with’, prompting immediate concern.
‘He told my son to come and wait by the fence and that he was coming back with puppies. So Cody came around and knocked on the front door and told me about it, he was so excited,’ Jenni told Daily Mail Australia.
Jenni Cousens (pictured) claims her six-year-old son was almost lured away from their backyard by a strange man
The mother-of-three (left) was inside preparing lunch for her children (pictured) when she says Cody (middle) was approached by a stranger
‘My son could have been the next William Tyrrell’: The panic-stricken mother shared her account to Facebook
‘I was so worried he would be back I locked all the doors and stared out the window until the police came. Someone is out there with a taste for kids.’
As a member of a small community in the Whitsundays, Jenni said she had no qualms popping inside for a moment – but warns the illusion of safety in her tight-knit town has been shattered.
‘I’ve done this as a warning to other parents like me who think your child is secure and will be okay for five minutes while you just …….. fix them something to eat! Or go to the toilet or change a babies nappy!’ she added.
‘Those of us especially living in small communities that kids of various ages are out and about playing, riding their bikes and out of your sight playing with the neighbours kids. I’ve learnt today unfortunately it’s not okay, I’m sick in the stomach with all the what if scenarios, I feel like the worst parent in the world.’
As a member of a small community in the Whitsundays, Jenni said she had no qualms popping inside for a moment – but warns the illusion of safety in her tight-knit town has been shattered (Pictured are Jenni’s children)
As a member of a small community in the Whitsundays Jenni (pictured with her daughters) says she had no qualms popping inside for a moment – but warns the illusion of safety in her tight-knit town has been shattered
According to Jenni , her son was tempted away from the safety of their home by a Caucasian male with athletic build wearing a hat and shorts, aged in his 30s (stock image)
Jenni also reminded parents to educate their children on stranger danger.
‘It’s a sad world when now you’re like me never again to let them out of your sight, considering putting locks on your gates, considering installing CCTV and wondering what kind of dog is an aggressive guard dog that won’t bite the kids,’ she said.
‘I am now redeveloping the whole backyard so you can’t see our kids play on the trampoline from the street and changing the lock system on the gate.’
A spokesperson for Queensland Police told Daily Mail Australia: ‘Officers have conducted extensive inquiries but have not been able to substantiate the reports.’
‘My son didn’t end up waiting (thank god!) as he came to the front door and alerted me to what just happened and how we were going to get new puppies to play with,’ she wrote (stock image)