A man has been charged following an investigation into the alleged sexual abuse of young children in the state’s north.
In March 2021, detectives from Lake Macquarie Police District established Strike Force Friar to investigate multiple reports of child sexual abuse that occurred between 1993 and 2020.
Following extensive inquiries, investigators arrested a 64-year-old man, with the assistance of the State Crime Command’s Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad, at Swansea about 8.30am yesterday (Monday 20 December 2021).
The Marks Point man was taken to Belmont Police Station where he was charged with 26 offences,
- Indecent assault with victim under the age of 10 (13 counts)
- Indecent assault person under 16 years of age
- Sexual intercourse with person under the age of 10 (three counts)
- Aggravated indecent assault – victim under the age of 16 (three counts)
- Commit act of indecency with person under 16 years (two counts)
- Commit act of indecency with person under 10 years
- Sexually touch another person without consent, and
- Carry out sexual act with another without consent (two counts).
Police will allege in court that the man sexually abused seven children – who were known to him – in the Lake Macquarie and Narrabri areas between 1993 and 2020.
He was refused bail and appeared in Belmont Local Court on the same day, where he was formally refused bail to appear in the same court on Wednesday 16 February 2022.
