A 22-year-old man has fronted the Darwin Local Court charged with a series of offences related to the alleged attempted sexual assault of a child last week.
The man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, appeared briefly, and did not make an application for bail.
He has been charged with attempted sexual intercourse without consent, unlawful entry and aggravated assault following the alleged incident in the Palmerston suburb of Driver, south of Darwin.
Judge John Neill listed the case for a preliminary examination mention in February next year.
"Because of the nature of those offences and the maximum penalties available, these must be dealt with by way of committal," said Judge Neill.
Police last week said they "flooded" the Palmerston area in search of a man who had allegedly entered a home and attempted to sexually assault a child between the age of six and 10, before being interrupted by other residents.
The 22-year-old man was arrested almost 48-hours later, after he was found in a phone box in the Palmerston suburb of Gray.
Detective Senior Sergeant Karl Day said the residents of the home did not know the alleged intruder.
The man remains in custody, to return to court in February 2023.
