A 45-year-old Hunter man will face Newcastle court today, accused of soliciting and sharing sexually explicit pictures with an underage girl.
The man, who pretended to be a teacher at the girl’s school, was arrested by Australian Federal Police yesterday.
He was charged with a string of child abuse offences after interacting with the girl on social media, between 2015 and 2016.
The girl approached the teacher she thought she was speaking with online through other social media channels, but he was not aware of the interactions.
Police searched the 45-year-old man’s home yesterday, where they found two mobile phones, a laptop computer and an external hard drive, which will undergo forensic tests.
Investigations are continuing, as police believe the man also engaged in online conversations with other children.
AFP Child Protection Operations Detective Sergeant Jarryd Dunbar said the arrest is the result of months of investigations.
“The allegations we will present before the court are something we rarely encounter – the subterfuge involved in this offending is sinister and cruel. A juvenile girl has been groomed and exploited – and may have suffered life-long trauma – while assuming the identity of an innocent man has resulted in serious damage to his personal and professional reputation.”
