Cleo Smith was four years old when she was kidnapped from an Australian camping site and held for 18 days.
Terence Darrell Kelly 36 pleaded guilty in one count of taking Cleo out of her tent at the Blowholes campsite close to Carnarvon, Western Australia, last October.
Cleo, who was missing for 18 days, was discovered by police in Carnarvon alone. Cleo disappeared 18 days ago. Her search was a sensation. Police found her in Carnarvon alone.
Kelly confessed to the kidnapping during a short appearance at Carnarvon’s courtroom. Kelly was connected via video from Perth, which is 900 kilometers (560 miles) away.
On conviction for taking under 16-year-old child by force, he could face a sentence of 20 years imprisonment. He will next appear in a Western Australian state District Court in Perth on March 20, where he will eventually be sentenced but ultimately avoid a criminal trial.
Kelly did not plead guilty to any other charges, such as assaulting a public official the day following his arrest. These charges were remanded for a later time.
Terence Darrell Kelly (right), has pleaded guilty in shock to the kidnapping of Cleo Smith, four years old (left).
Kelly, 36, pleaded guilty to one charge: taking Cleo, (pictured with Ellie Smith, her mother) from the tent of her family at the isolated Blowholes campsite in Carnarvon last summer
Kelly, who appeared before Ben White the Carnarvon magistrate today, only said ‘guilty’ when her lawyer told Kelly that she was willing to plead guilty to one of the charges.
Kelly was expecting a lengthy and drawn out legal process, but the admission will significantly reduce that timeframe – even though detectives had spent months prepping for this.
A statement of facts was given to the 36-year old just before Christmas, which may have had an influence on his plea.
His lawyer Kate Turtley-Chappel said it was important her client plead guilty to the single kidnapping charge as soon as possible.
Kelly’s sentence will be decided at a sentence-mention hearing. Details of Kelly’s activities will also be discussed.
Cleo, who was missing from her campsite in the early morning of November 18, was discovered alive and well. This discovery sparked international attention for over two weeks.
After she woken at 1.30am, she asked her for water. But when her parents rose at 6am, the little girl disappeared with all of their land-air and sea searches failing to locate any trace.
Five days after the four-year-old went missing police announced they believed Cleo had been abducted and offered a $1million (£737,000) reward.
Cleo’s mother Ellie Smith and stepfather Jake Gliddon appeal for information during her disappearance. Cleo, who was 18 days missing from her campsite camp in July 2017, was discovered alive in November.
During his sentencing, he will consider the impact that Kelly’s 18-day stay in her home had on Cleo and her immediate family.
He will remain in custody inside a secure cell at Casuarina Prison in Perth and will return on Monday as one of the jail’s most high-profile inmates.
Cleo was found locked up in her house minutes from her family’s home, Tonkin Street. She is approximately 500 miles (or 895 km) north of Perth.
Police entered the residence on November 3. They found the child alone, unharmed, and playing with toys in her room.
Kelly was also taken into custody on the street nearby at around the same moment. According to police, he acted on his own and claimed that he did not have any connections to Cleo.
After his initial court appearance, he was tied down and taken with him by two armed police officers on an aircraft charter from Carnarvon.
Cleo was photographed with Ellie Smith (pictured below) and she was taken from the property located just minutes away from her family’s home at Tonkin Street in Carnarvon. It is almost 1000 km north of Perth.
Kelly received two self-inflicted wounds while in custody. This led to Kelly being placed under additional security.
Cleo has pleaded guilty after it emerged that Cleo’s parents signed a $2million agreement with Channel Nine, just weeks following the girl’s disappearance.
The lucrative agreement, believed to have been an Australian TV record, was reached by Ellie Smith’s mother and Jake Gliddon.
Max Markson, a prominent talent agent, is believed to have organized the deal. The interview will likely include a telling-all interview with 60 Minutes as well as Nine publications stories.
There is also speculation of a six-part special for its streaming service, Stan and that young Cleo herself may feature in the interviews, The Australian reported.
Kelly has pleaded guilty after it emerged that Cleo’s parents had signed a $2million contract with Channel Nine only weeks after Cleo was abducted.
Nine won the Spotlight broadcast on Channel Seven to seal the deal, even though Seven West Media Chairman Kerry Stokes had an interest in the story.
‘Nine was scared at the end of the year after they lost their No 1 position – this seems a desperate attempt to regain the mantle … and it won’t work,’ an inside source told the publication.
The deal is said to have horrified some network employees.
“What consequences could it have if we ask this girl about her past, even though she doesn’t remember what it was?” one journalist asked.
“And what’s the view public’s perception of the spectacle?
Daily Mail Australia revealed that Cleo was being followed by her parents to change her name.
After similar experiences, the couple sought out advice from others parents.
Cleo, who was unharmed by the police force entry into her house and is playing with toys alone in a brightly lit room, was discovered by officers.
Cleo, who was forcibly taken from the Blowholes campsite tent by her family and kept there for 18 days, is being investigated by Forensics.
These young victims were asked how they recovered from high-profile crime, whether professional counselling was done and if it was worthwhile by their parents.
The parents are worried about their child’s ability to cope with the years of intense attention she will receive, as they were already in the news for much of her early childhood.
Daily Mail Australia has been told that they’re concerned about negative media reactions.
In an attempt to safeguard her daughter’s identity, Ms Smith raised the issue with friends of possibly changing Cleos’ first and last names.
According to the source, they are worried that people will make the connection down the road.
Daily Mail Australia has learned that the Western Australian Police have encouraged Ms Smith, a mother of a child who suffered traumatic events in her childhood to discuss Cleo’s future with other parents.
“As in all such matters, WA Police Force provides continuous support to families,” a spokesperson said.
Ms Smith has even raised with friends the possibility of changing Cleo’s first and last names in an effort to protect her daughter’s identity as she grows into adulthood
Daily Mail Australia’s Forensic Psychologist Tim Watson-Munro stated that he believes it would be beneficial to Cleo’s parents to speak to other families.
He said, “I believe it’s great as long as people are open to talking with each other.” “It’s just like any type of therapy.
People who have been through trauma tend to be the most able to share their stories with others. They also seem more at ease sharing it.
They don’t accept people who only have a medical or academic view. People benefit from their real-life experiences.
“It’s amazing that people are doing this, honestly, it’s helping people.