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LOS ANGELES - Tamara Broome, the Australian supermarket employee jailed in the US after an internet romance with a 17-year-old North Carolina boy, is free.
Broome's lawyer Frank Harper arranged a surprise plea deal with US prosecutors today that ensured Broome's release after 29 days in a North
Carolina jail.
Broome, 31, from Adelaide is expected to fly out of the United States tomorrow.
Prosecutor Kimberly Robb said Broome agreed to enter a guilty plea today to a misdemeanour charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Broome was originally charged with the more serious felony charge of abduction of children.
Robb said she consulted the boy's family before agreeing to the plea deal.
"I would not have done it, but I called the family yesterday and they were in favour of it," Robb, an assistant district attorney for North Carolina's Pitt County, told AAP.
"They wanted this thing resolved quickly, partially because of the press coverage.
"They just wanted this boy to have a normal year because school starts here in a few weeks so they wanted it done before school begins."
The deal was announced when Broome appeared in the Pitt County District Court in Greenville, North Carolina, today.
Judge Charles Vincent accepted the deal, but delayed sentencing Broome for a year.
"There's no convictions at this point officially," Robb said.
"The judge continued it for one year so in one year when she comes back he (the boy) will be 18 and we'll have something to hold over her head."
The judge warned Broome not to contact the boy until he turned 18.
If Broome does, she could be sentenced to three months' jail.
"The judge told her no contact," Robb said.
"No internet, no phone calls, no US post mail, no nothing."
US authorities had alleged Broome met the boy on the internet while playing the game, World of Warcraft. They alleged she then travelled to the US and attempted to entice him to Australia.
On June 12 the boy's parents reported him missing and authorities found him at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport attempting to catch a flight to Australia to see Broome.
US authorities then tracked Broome as she flew to New York and then caught a train to Rocky Mount, North Carolina, where she was arrested and charged with child abduction.
In North Carolina, a minor is classified as being aged 17 years or younger.
Broome had remained in jail until today because she could not make the US$850,000 ($1,072,014) bail.
- AAP
