Detectives have arrested two men in Sydney in connection with online child grooming offenses. The arrests were part of an ongoing police operation targeting child predators.
In Campbelltown, in Sydney's outer southwest, a 69-year-old man was taken into custody on Monday. Authorities allege he traveled from Port Kembla with the intention of meeting a female child for sexual intercourse after grooming her online. He has been charged with inciting sexual intercourse with a child under 10, using a carriage service to groom a minor under 16 for procurement by the sender, failing to comply with reporting obligations, and contravening a prohibition order.
The man appeared in Campbelltown Local Court on Tuesday, where his bail was refused. He is scheduled to reappear in the same court on November 11.
A second arrest occurred in Beaumont Hills, in northwest Sydney, on Tuesday. A 66-year-old man was charged with using a carriage service to groom a girl under 16 for procurement by the sender and making child abuse material available. This individual was also denied bail and was expected to appear at Parramatta Local Court on Wednesday.
These arrests were conducted under the auspices of Strike Force Trawler, a police initiative that employs undercover online tactics to apprehend individuals involved in child exploitation. The operation aims to disrupt and dismantle networks of online predators and groomers.
