A NSW Police investigation into alleged historical abuse in a Sydney boys’ home has turned its attention to a series of “excursions” where children were allegedly subjected to sexual assault by paedophiles.
Strike Force Eckersley was established by the Nepean Police Area Command in late 2016 following a series of complaints made to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
The allegations relate to the alleged abuse of boys at the Daruk Training School between 1965 and 1985.
Around 9.30 this morning, detectives travelled to an address at Menangle in Sydney’s south-west and executed a search warrant at a home.
A Court Attendance Notice was served on a 70-year-old resident.
He has been ordered to face Penrith Local Court on Tuesday, March 19 on a charge of ‘indecent assault on a male’.
The arrest comes as Strike Force Eckersley investigates allegations that boys were abused during so-called “excursions” from the home in 1978 and 1979.
The excursion program was apparently designed to ease troubled boys back into society.
Detectives allege some staff instead used the program to take boys to lunches at Sydney restaurants where they were indecently assaulted at the tables.
“We will be alleging before court the arrested man indecently assaulted a boy at one of those lunches,” Nepean Commander, Detective Superintendent Brett McFadden said.
“We are also alleging the suspect was not employed at the Daruk Training School but was a friend of staff who took the child to lunch.”
Investigations are continuing.
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