Sydney man in court over grooming of young girl, NSW

A man will face court today charged over the alleged grooming and sexual assault of a teenage girl on the state’s south coast.

Police allege that in 2014 a then-32-year-old man began communicating with a 13-year-old girl through an internet-based messaging application.

The man allegedly met the girl in Batemans Bay and Sydney on several occasions between 2014 and 2018, where he allegedly sexually abused her.

The matter was reported to South Coast Police District in June 2019 and an investigation commenced.

Following extensive inquiries, the 37-year-old man was arrested outside a unit complex on Whitton Road, Chatswood about 3pm yesterday (Monday 14 October 2019).

The man was taken to Chatswood Police Station, where he was charged with two counts of grooming, 12 counts of sexual intercourse with a child under 16 and six counts of indecent assault.

He was refused bail and is due to face Hornsby Local Court today (Tuesday 15 October 2019).

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.

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