One of three Scots College students accused of raping a 14-year-old girl in a Bondi Junction alleyway has been suspended from school and had a bail application to access YouTube and the PlayStation Network rejected by a court. Judge Sue Duncombe refused the request after prosecutors warned the platforms could allow the boy to contact the alleged victim, witnesses or his co-accused, saying it would be "wrong to open the door so soon" to social media use. The case matters because it highlights how courts are managing the risk of witness interference and further harm to the alleged victim while serious charges against minors proceed.

The boy, along with two fellow students aged 13 and 14, was arrested last month and charged with aggravated sexual assault; none of the three can be legally identified. His defence lawyer told the court the teenager was effectively under "house arrest", spending all his time at home, and wanted YouTube access for education and recreation. Bail conditions bar the boys from leaving home between 6pm and 6am without a parent, from contacting each other outside school, from travelling to Bondi Junction, from using social media, and from contacting the alleged victim, while apprehended violence orders also keep them at least 200 metres from a specified address. The trio is next due in court on 20 October.