A pregnant school worker is set to give birth while in custody after being arrested on child abuse charges deemed too disturbing to be read aloud in court. Lucy Ray McKenzie, 35, faces allegations including the possession of images depicting the sexual assault of a baby under 12 months old.
McKenzie, an administrative officer at Gilgandra Public School, was arrested at her home in Gilgandra, New South Wales, on Tuesday. Police allege she attempted to prevent officers from confiscating her mobile phone during the arrest. The court heard that she physically resisted police and tried to retrieve the device after it was secured.
During a bail hearing on Wednesday, Judge Fiona McCarron refused bail, citing concerns about McKenzie's access to children as an "unacceptable risk to the community." The judge declined to place further details of the allegations on the court record due to their disturbing nature. Commonwealth prosecutors opposed bail, despite defense arguments that McKenzie would have limited access to the internet and her stepdaughter would be supervised by her husband.
McKenzie, who is approximately seven months pregnant and due to give birth in two months, was taken into custody by detectives from the Sex Crimes Squad. The investigation, part of Strike Force Trawler, an inquiry into sexual abuse and child exploitation, began after a tip-off about alleged child abuse material. Investigators reportedly linked the material to an account holder in the Gilgandra area and believe McKenzie used the Kik app to share it.
She was charged with four counts of using a carriage service to make available child abuse material and one count of hindering or resisting police. McKenzie appeared stoic during the bail hearing. If she remains in custody, she will be incarcerated until her due date, which is approximately eight weeks away.
Mckenzie's mother has offered to provide a $10,000 surety and live with her daughter on bail. McKenzie married local council plant operator Brent McKenzie in 2023. They reside in Gilgandra with his nine-year-old daughter.