Police charge man over historical child sexual offences in Murrumbidgee

Police have charged a man following investigations into alleged historical child sex offences in the state’s Murrumbidgee region.

In April this year, officers attached to Murrumbidgee Police District established Strike Force Barncleuth to investigate allegations of historical child sex and online child exploitation offences in the state’s south-west.

Following extensive inquiries, officers arrested a 41-year-old man at Griffith about 6am today (Friday 19 November 2021).

He was taken to Griffith Police Station and charged with 15 offences;

  • sexual intercourse with person under the age of 10 years – serious indictable offence (x8),
  • aggravated sexual intercourse person between 10 and 14 years (x3),
  • aggravated indecent assault – victim under authority (x2),
  • aggravated – sexual intercourse child under 16 – serious indictable offence, and,
  • use carriage service to send indecent material to person under 16 years.

Police will allege in court that four children – then aged between three and 14 – were sexually assaulted by a man known to them between 1996 and 2020.

The Griffith man appeared in Griffith Local Court today (Friday 19 November 2021) where he was formally refused bail to appear in the same court on Monday 22 November 2021.

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