35-year-old man to face Orange Local Court for alleged online grooming

A 35-year-old man from Orange and a 66-year-old man from Mudgee are among five men to be charged with alleged online child grooming offences across the state in just over a week.

Police say investigators from the CEIU began engaging with the Orange man in December.

Police will allege in court the man believed he was speaking with a girl aged under 16 years and engaged in sexually explicit conversations.

Following inquiries, investigators attached to the CEIU arrested him at an address at Orange about 7.20am on Thursday March 10.

He was taken to Orange Police Station and charged with use carriage service to send indecent material to person under 16. He was refused bail and appeared at Orange Local Court that day, where he was granted conditional bail to reappear on Monday March 21.

Detectives began speaking online with the 66-year-old man from Mudgee in January.

Police allege the man believed he was speaking with a girl aged under 16 and engaged in sexually explicit conversations about acts he wished to perform with her.

Following further inquiries, the man was arrested by CEIU detectives at a home in Windeyer just before 7am on Wednesday March 9.

He was taken to Mudgee Police Station and charged with use carriage service to groom child under 16 years of age for sex, and a separate offence of handle explosive or precursor without authorising licence after investigators uncovered fireworks during a subsequent search warrant.

He was refused bail and appeared at Orange Local Court that day, where he was granted conditional bail to appear at Mudgee Local Court on Wednesday 23 March 2022.

The three other men were arrested for online grooming offences this week included a 56-year-old man from the Blue Mountains, a 29-year-old man from Wollongong and a 77-year-old man from the Southern Tablelands.

Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad Commander, Detective Acting Superintendent Adam Powderly, said in each instance police will allege in court that the men believed they were talking to a child or parent of a child, and expressed desires to engage in sexual activity with the child.

"The insidious nature of online predators is that they seek out children and adopt online behaviours typical of that age, such as the use of emojis, acronyms and slang as a way to groom their victims," Det A/Supt Powderly said.

"In most cases what then follows is a request for explicit photos or attempts by the offender to meet up in person - an act which could have devastating consequences for a young child.

"As a parent or carer, you should explain to your child that people online may not always be who they claim to be and remain approachable and understanding in the event something makes the child uncomfortable online," Det A/Supt Powderly said.

Investigations by the Child Exploitation Internet Unit continue.

Information and educational packages for parents and children are available from ThinkUKnow, a multi-agency program designed to educate and promote cyber safety: https://www.thinkuknow.org.au/

The Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad is comprised of detectives who are specially trained to investigate matters against children and adults, including sexual assault, serious physical abuse, and extreme cases of neglect.

Anyone with concerns about suspected child abuse or exploitation should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page: https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au.

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