A man has been charged over alleged online grooming following an investigation by Strike Force Trawler detectives in St Marys.
In March this year, detectives from the Child Abuse and Sex Crime Squad’s Child Exploitation Internet Unit (CEIU) began engaging online with a man from St Marys.
Police will allege in court that the man believed he was speaking with a 13-year-old girl and engaged in conversations about sex acts he wished to perform on the teenager.
Following extensive inquiries, strike force detectives, assisted by officers from the Operations Support Group (OSG) and Nepean Police Area Command, arrested a 39-year-old man at a home in St Marys about 8.30am today.
Shortly after the arrest, investigators executed a search warrant at the home and seized mobile phones and electronic storage devices.
The man was taken to Penrith Police Station and charged with using a carriage service to groom persons under 16 years of age.
He appeared at Penrith Local Court today where he was formally refused bail to reappear at the same court tomorrow.
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.
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