The 17-year-old, who cannot be named, was arrested on December 21 along with three other boys after they were clearly pictured on CCTV with one of the cars.

The teenager's finger prints were then matched with those found in two other stolen cars which police recovered in Orange.

The boy told police that in each instance he found a car door unlocked and while looking for money in the vehicles he found car keys so took the cars for a drive.

According to police, the boy smashed a window of a black Holden Astra and stole a wallet containing a woman's driver's licence, bank cards, pension card, $2 in cash and a silver necklace from the car, parked in Churchill Avenue overnight on August 21 and 22.

He stole a silver Toyota Rav4 from Redluom Place overnight on September 16 and 17. The vehicle was found on Sharpe Road on September 22.

Overnight on December 20 and 21 he stole a white Toyota Hilux from McLachlan Street and the ute was recovered but a child's booster seat, Garmin satellite navigation system,  sunglasses and battery packs had been stolen from the vehicle. 

A black business card wallet was stolen from an Isuzu D Max vehicle that was parked in a driveway on Franklin Road overnight on December 20 and 21 and in the same time period an Isuzu MU SUV was stolen.

Police were called to three boys driving that SUV without its lights on at 3.52am and after the vehicle was recovered a wallet containing $100 was reported to be missing and the investigation uncovered footage of the boys with the car. 

In Orange Children's Court magistrate David Day took into account early pleas, time spent on remand and background reports submitted to the court.

"[They are] serious and would if [he] was an adult, they would attract full-time custody but he's not," Mr Day said.

"He's experienced what it's like to be deprived of liberty."

Mr Day gave the boy a suspended nine-month control order for each of the three car thefts, which means he could be re-sentenced and sent back into custody if he reoffends.  

Mr Day also gave the boy the equivalent of a two-year good behaviour bond for stealing the wallet from the Holden Astra in August, and he gave him 12-month bonds for other larceny offences.