Man in court over online grooming, NSW

A man will re-appear in court today following a Strike Force Trawler investigation into the alleged online grooming of a teenage girl in Sydney’s north west earlier this year.

In September 2019, detectives from the Child Abuse and Sex Crime Squad’s Child Exploitation Internet Unit (CEIU) began engaging online with a man from Sydney’s north-west.

Police will allege in court that the man believed he was speaking with 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.

Following extensive investigations, strike force detectives arrested a 38-year-old man at a home at Quakers Hill about 10.30am on Wednesday 9 October 2019.

A short time later, detectives executed a search warrant at the home and seized computers, electronic storage devices and a mobile phone.

The man was taken to Riverstone Police Station and charged with use carriage service to groom under 16 years for sex.

He was refused bail and appeared at Blacktown Local Court on Wednesday 9 October 2019, where he was formally refused bail to re-appear at the same court today (Wednesday 4 December 2019).

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.

/Public Release. View in full here.