A teenager has been abducted, forced to strip naked, and threatened with a gun and other weapons by a group of vigilantes before being severely beaten, a court has heard.
Michael Deslandes' home on Jevington Drive in Wodonga was burgled in the early hours of Tuesday and a credit card and motorbikes taken.
The Wodonga Magistrates Court on Thursday heard images of a teenager and his girlfriend were posted on Facebook.
It's alleged Deslandes, 37, was able to identify a 17-year-old who used the credit card before abducting him with three other men.
Deslandes allegedly attended the boy's home, searching for him on Tuesday night.
The court heard his group had a heated discussion with the victim at the Wodonga Raiders ground, Birallee Park, and one man lifted up his shirt revealing a handgun.
The teenager punched the man and fled to the Gayview Drive shops, before the group allegedly put him into Deslandes' work vehicle.
The victim was allegedly driven to Yackandandah.
The court heard all four accused men turned their phones off and switched off the victim's phone before entering the state forest.
The boy was allegedly assaulted over two-and-a-half hours, which involved him being forced to strip naked and Deslandes repeatedly hitting his body, throat and head.
The victim told police he thought he would be killed.
A blowtorch was allegedly used to heat up bars until they glowed, which he was hit with, leaving welts.
He was allegedly threatened with rape and an angle grinder used to threaten to cut his penis off, and was told him and his mother would be killed if he didn't say where the motorbikes were.
The court heard a gun was pushed to his head and he stumbled to his grandmother's home.
He is in hospital with a broken jaw, nose, teeth and burns.
Deslandes was arrested on Wednesday afternoon, followed by two further arrests on Wednesday.
A fourth man is still being sought.
The court heard the gun hasn't been found and police hold grave concerns for its whereabouts.
Detective Ray Causer said the victim was "extremely fearful" and noted it was a vicious, sustained attack.
Deslandes will return to court on Monday.
