A man will face court today after being charged by Strike Force Trawler detectives over the alleged online procurement of a child for sex, NSW Police say.
In August 2018, detectives from the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad’s Child Exploitation Internet Unit (CEIU) began engaging online with a man from Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs.
Police will allege in court that the man believed he was speaking with the mother of a 10-year-old girl and engaged in conversations about sexual acts he wished to perform on the child.
It will also be alleged that the man believed he was speaking with a 13-year-old girl on another application, engaged in highly-sexualised conversations, and made arrangements to meet with the child for sex.
Following extensive investigations, a 63-year-old man was arrested by strike force detectives on High Street, Penrith, just before 11am yesterday (Tuesday 6 November 2018).
Shortly after the arrest, a search warrant was executed at a Matraville home, where investigators seized a laptop, computer tower, a video camera, and electronic storage devices.
The man was taken to Penrith Police Station and charged with use carriage service to procure person under 16 years for sex and use carriage service transmit/publish/promote child pornography.
He was refused bail to appear at Penrith Local Court later today (Wednesday 7 November 2018).
Investigations are continuing.
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 information about internet predators should call Crime Stoppers.
