A South Coast man will face court tomorrow after being charged by Strike Force Trawler detectives over the alleged grooming of a child online, NSW Police say.
In February, detectives from the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad’s Child Exploitation Internet Unit (CEIU) commenced an investigation following a referral from the Australian Federal Police, Child Protection Operations.
Police will allege in court that the man believed he was speaking to a 14-year-old boy and engaged in sexually-explicit conversations and sent explicit video recordings and images.
Following extensive investigations, Strike Force Trawler detectives executed a search warrant at a home at Bomaderry, just after 11am today (Thursday 21 June 2018).
Police seized a computer, mobile phone and electronic storage devices.
A 50-year-old man was arrested and taken to Nowra Police Station, where he was charged with use carriage service to groom child under 16 years for sex, and use carriage service to send indecent material to person under 16.
He was refused bail to due to appear at Nowra Local Court tomorrow (Friday 22 June 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.
