Man charged with kidnapping Oldbury boy

West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said it had authorised officers from West Midlands Police to charge Michael Jackson, 49, from Oldbury, West Midlands with the kidnap and sexual assault of the child in Oldbury on Sunday.

Emma Garnett, senior crown prosecutor from West Midlands CPS, said: “Having carefully examined all of the available information which was submitted to me by the police, I have decided that there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest to charge Michael Jackson with one count each of kidnap, false imprisonment, threats to kill and sexual assault.

“I have also authorised the police to charge him with one further count of child abduction which is in connection with a separate incident involving an 11 year-old child.”

He will appear before Warley Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday morning.

The force had launched an investigation after the child was reported missing by a family member at 9.15am on Sunday when he failed to return home.

Officers and members of the public scoured the area for more than two hours before a neighbour spotted the boy inside a property at around 11.30am, allegedly with his hands “bound”.

He was reported to be uninjured and returned to his family shortly after the ordeal.

Officers are expected to interview the boy in the coming days to establish how he came to be at the flat.

Earlier, police said they had questioned three men on suspicion of the kidnapping. A police spokesman said: “Three men, a 49-year-old, a 30-year-old and a 48-year-old, all from the local area, have been arrested on suspicion of kidnap and are currently being questioned by detectives.

“We are working closely with the family and local community.”

A spokeswoman from Adullam Homes Housing Association Limited, which owns the address, described the incident as “shocking and heinous”.

She said: “Everyone who is involved within the organisation is shocked and appalled by the incident that took place on Sunday.

“Many of our residents have been contributing positively to their local community while others have been working independently and sustaining the stable environment that Oldbury is best known for.

“It is with deep regret that such a shocking and heinous incident has taken place. We have traditionally always had an excellent track record here, with residents making a positive contribution to the environment in which they live and they share our sentiments of shock and distress.”