kids

An Aussie mum has posted a warning to Facebook after a man tried to abduct her son.

Queensland mum Jenni Cousens thought it was safe to leave her son Cody playing in the backyard while she made lunch. Turns out, it wasn’t.

On Monday, a man entered the Cousens’ fenced yard in the town of Proserpine.  He walked up the side of the house, past the family dog, to the trampoline in the backyard.

“My son, who is six years old, was jumping on it and was lured off and to the front gate with the promise of puppies!” Cousens wrote in a Facebook post that has already been shared around 5000 times.

“He told my son to wait at the gate while he went to get the puppies to give to him (probably went to fetch this car to get him in?!).”

The first Cousens knew of it was when she heard a knock on the front door and opened it to see Cody standing there with a smile on his face.

“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.”

Cousens immediately reported the matter to police and then took to Facebook, to let other parents know about the attempted abduction.

“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 baby’s nappy!”

ADVERTISEMENT

She said that a lot of parents, especially those living in small communities, let their kids out of their sight, especially during the school holidays.

“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!”

Cousens, a paramedic, says she had taught her son all about stranger danger. Yet he was still happy to go off with this man, who she describes as a 30-year-old Caucasian, with an athletic build.

“My son could have been the next William Tyrrell (abducted at three years old), Daniel Morcombe (abducted, violated and murdered at 13 years old), all the other poor children who were taken by these vile child sex offenders who are opportunistic predators!”

Cousens’ post has received more than 1000 comments, with several locals commenting that it was the second attempted abduction within a few days.

Mamamia contacted the Proserpine police, and a spokesperson said that investigations into the matter were continuing.

LISTEN: ‘Sharenting’, is it really safe? We asked Mia’s son how he feels about his mum posting pictures of him online…