Strike Force Trawler investigators have charged a casual school teacher from Sydney’s south west following an investigation into alleged online grooming.
On Monday (7 September 2020), detectives from the Child Abuse and Sex Crime Squad’s Child Exploitation Internet Unit (CEIU) began engaging online with a man from Sydney’s south west.
Police will allege in court that the man believed he was speaking to a 14-year-old girl and engaged in conversations about sexually-explicit acts he wished to perform on the child and sent sexually-explicit material.
It will also be alleged that the man was using his mobile phone to engage in conversations while at work.
Following extensive investigations, strike force detectives arrested a 61-year-old man at Rosemeadow, just before 3pm yesterday (Tuesday 8 September 2020).
Shortly after, a search warrant was executed at a home at Woodbine, where detectives seized a laptop. A mobile phone and other electronic devices were also seized. These items will be forensically examined.
The man, who is a casual school teacher, was taken to Campbelltown Police Station and charged with use carriage service to groom under 16 years for sex, two counts of use carriage service to send indecent material, use carriage service to solicit child abuse material, use carriage service transmit/publish/promote child abuse and produce child abuse material.
He was refused bail to appear before Campbelltown Local Court today (Wednesday 9 September 2020).
Strike Force Trawler is an ongoing investigation by the CEIU into the sexual abuse and exploitation of children facilitated through the internet and related telecommunications devices.
Regular covert online investigations are conducted by the CEIU; and police in NSW work closely with their law-enforcement colleagues interstate and overseas.
The Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad is comprised of detectives who are specially trained to investigate matters against children and adults, including sexual assault, serious physical abuse, and extreme cases of neglect.
Anyone with concerns about suspected child abuse or exploitation should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page: https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au.
Information you provide will be treated in the strictest of confidence. People should not report crime information via our Facebook and Twitter pages.
