A 50-year-old Gunnedah man has been charged with online grooming and solicitation of child abuse material following a NSW Police investigation.
Earlier this month, detectives from the Child Abuse and Sex Crime Squad’s Child Exploitation Internet Unit (CEIU) began engaging online with a man from the state’s north east.
Police will allege in court that the man believed he was speaking with a 13-year-old girl and engaged in sexually explicit conversations about acts he wished to perform on the child.
“It will be further alleged that the man sent sexually explicit material,” NSW Police said in a statement today.
“Following extensive inquiries, strike force detectives arrested a 50-year-old man at a home at Gunnedah about 8.30am yesterday.
“A search warrant was subsequently executed, where detectives seized a mobile phone. It will be subject to further examination.”
The man was taken to Gunnedah Police Station and charged with one count of use carriage service to groom person under 16 years for sex, three counts of use carriage service to solicit child abuse material, and four counts of use carriage service to transmit indecent communication to a person under 16 years.
He was refused bail and is due to appear at Tamworth Local Court today.
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.
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.
