A 19-year-old Northam man has become the first person in WA to be sentenced over the 'clown purge craze' after admitting he chased a group of teenage girls near a shopping centre in October.
Lane Harley Ivatts pleaded guilty in Northam Magistrates Court on Monday to possessing a disguise and disorderly behaviour over the incident.
![The man was caught wearing this clown costume.](/web/20170125095414im_/http://www.watoday.com.au/content/dam/images/g/r/y/8/n/8/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gtx565.png/1485153970859.jpg)
He was given a six month good behaviour bond with the clown suit ordered to be destroyed.
The teenager chased a group of girls about 700 metres from a shopping centre in October, in the direction of a local police station - where he was spotted by officers.
He fled the scene but was apprehended and arrested only a short distance away.
Asked by Nine News Perth reporter Hannah Sinclair outside court at an earlier hearing if he thought it was nice to scare young girls, he replied, "It was supposed to be a harmless prank, it was part of a world-wide trend... there was no harm intended".
Possession of a disguise is not unlawful unless it is used to conceal identity while committing an offence. The charge carries a maximum penalty of $6000.
Ivatts' arrest came during a period when police had received a number of calls relating to clown sightings in Perth - with some walking the streets carrying items such as chainsaws, machetes and baseball bats.
WA Police said at the time any threatening behaviour would be investigated.
"It is important to remember that dressing as a clown isn't against the law, however should a person engage in activity that is criminal, anti-social or threatening towards other people police will investigate," a spokesperson said.