Thursday, 16 February 2017 09:55:09 AM
A man will face court today after being charged with online child procurement as part of an investigation into online child abuse.
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.
Strike force officers began engaging online with a man from the state’s south coast last month.
Police will allege in court the man believed he was speaking to a 14-year-old boy and made numerous sexually explicit comments to the child, and made arrangements to meet with him.
About 3.30pm yesterday (Wednesday 15 February 2017), the 33-year-old man was arrested by strike force detectives in a car park on High Street, Penrith.
Shortly after, strike force detectives, with the assistance of officers from Penrith and Far South Coast Local Area Commands executed search warrants at a hotel room at Penrith and a home at Moruya.
During the searches, police seized a laptop, and two mobile phones.
The man was taken to Penrith Police Station and charged with use carriage service to procure persons under 16.
He was refused bail to appear at Penrith Local Court today (Thursday 16 February 2017).
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.
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 on 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page: https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au/
Information you provide will be treated in the strictest of confidence. We remind people they should not report crime information via our Facebook and Twitter pages. Media Release
