A man will face court today, charged by detectives from State Crime Command’s Sex Crimes Squad after a covert online investigation into child exploitation, NSW Police say.
Strike Force Trawler is an ongoing Child Exploitation Internet Unit (CEIU) investigation into the sexual abuse and exploitation of children facilitated through the internet and related telecommunications devices.
In August, strike force officers began engaging online with a man from Sydney’s south-west.
Police will allege in court the man believed he was speaking to the mother of an 11-year-old girl and that he made numerous sexually explicit comments regarding the child.
Further, it will be alleged he requested to meet both the mother and child for the purpose of sexual activity.
About 2.30pm today, strike force detectives arrested a 34-year-old man at Parramatta.
Police seized a mobile phone for forensic examination, and took the man to Parramatta Police Station.
Following the arrest, police executed a search warrant at a home at Berala, where they located and seized electronic devices and a set of handcuffs.
The man was charged with charged with incite to commit sexual intercourse with child between the ages of 10 and 16 years, procuring a child under 16 years for sexual activity, and use a carriage service to transmit child pornography material.
He was refused bail to appear at Parramatta Local Court later tomorrow.
Regular covert online investigations are conducted by the Child Exploitation Internet Unit and police in NSW work closely with their law-enforcement colleagues interstate and overseas.
Anyone with information about internet predators should call Crime Stoppers.
