Former teacher charged as part of ongoing investigation into allegations of child sex abuse, NSW

A former teacher has been charged with 90 offences over the alleged historic sexual abuse of more than a dozen young students at a Sydney school over three decades.

In 2017, detectives from Burwood Police Area Command established Strike Force Cordwell to investigate allegations of sexual and physical abuse by a former teacher at a school at Earlwood in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.

The strike force commenced as a result of a referral from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse.

Following extensive inquiries, strike force detectives executed a search warrant at a home at Yowie Bay about 8am yesterday (Friday 22 January 2021).

A 64-year-old man was arrested at the home and taken to Sutherland Police Station.

He was charged with a total of 90 offences, including multiple counts of each sex assault (indecent assault) person under 16 and under authority, indecent assault on male, indecent act with male, incite aggravated indecency-victim under 16 and under authority, solicit male or incite male to commit indecent act, attempt to solicit or incite male to commit indecent act and common assault.

Police will allege in court that the charges relate to offences committed against 14 boys between 1978 and 1994, when they were aged between seven and eight.

The man has been refused bail to appear at Parramatta Local Court today (Saturday 23 January 2021).

Investigations under Strike Force Cordwell are ongoing.

If any member of the public has information in relation to Strike Force Cordwell, they should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au.

Police continue to encourage any person who has been a victim of any kind of sexual violence, no matter how long ago the incident occurred, to report it.

/Public Release. View in full here.