NSW Police Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad detectives have extradited and charged a man from Canberra following an investigation into alleged online grooming and child abuse.
Last month, investigators from the Child Exploitation Internet Unit’s Strike Force Trawler began engaging online with a man from Canberra.
Police will allege in court the man believed he was speaking to a girl under 14-years-old and engaged in sexually explicit conversations.
It will be further alleged that, on a separate occasion, the man believed he was speaking to a woman who had a girl aged under 10, during which he instructed the woman ways to perform sexual acts on the child.
Following extensive inquiries and assistance from the Australian Federal Police, a 38-year-old man was arrested and remanded in custody in Canberra yesterday.
NSW detectives then travelled to Canberra where they sought, and were granted, the man’s extradition to NSW.
Police executed a search warrant at a Canberra address, where they seized several items relevant to their investigation.
The man was taken to Queanbeyan Police Station, where he was charged with using a carriage service to groom and procure a person between the ages of 16 and 18, to transmit, publish, and promote child abuse, and to send indecent material to a person under 16.
He was refused bail to appear at Cooma Local Court today.
Online child safety information can be accessed via the eSafety website.
Educational packages for parents and children are available from ThinkUKnow, a multi-agency program designed to educate and promote cyber safety.
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 information that may assist investigators is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.
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