First person arrested under ‘Carly’s Law’ faces court in Mount Gambier on grooming, exploitation charges
THE first ‘Carly’s Law’ arrest has “lifted the lid” on predators lying about their age online, Nick Xenophon Team Senator Skye Kakoschke-Moore says.
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THE first ‘Carly’s Law’ arrest has “lifted the lid” on predators lying about their age online, Nick Xenophon Team Senator Skye Kakoschke-Moore says.
NXT says thousands of children will be saved from predators who lie in order to groom then abuse kids.
NXT worked closely with Sonya Ryan for years to develop the legislation that has now seen an Adelaide man charged. Sonya’s daughter, Carly, was killed by a 50-year-old man who befriended her online pretending to be an 18-year-old musician.
The Advertiser on Wednesday revealed that the new legislation was used to arrest a man allegedly pretending to be a teenage girl.
The man, 35, of Cockatoo Valley, was charged with 14 sexual and child exploitation offences and faced the Mount Gambier Magistrates Court just before noon on Wednesday.
Senator Kakoschke-Moore said the inquiry into changing the law made it clear the Australian Federal Police thought changes would help them act early to stop children being abused.
“Through this we’ve prevented harm to at least one child, and potentially thousands more,” she said.
“What it’s clearly done is allowed police to intervene sooner than they would have been able to do previously.”
Senator Xenophon said the first arrest was a “big breakthrough” and “a testament to Sonya Ryan”.
The first man to face court cannot be named because SA law automatically suppresses the identities of persons charged with sexual offending.
That publication ban lasts until the person enters a plea and is remanded to face the District Court, or until their matter is finalised in the Magistrates Court.
The man has yet to plead to charges including using a carriage service to prepare or plan to cause harm to, engage in sexual activity with, or procure for sexual activity, persons under 16.
The offence, under “Carly’s Law”, carries a maximum 10-year jail term.
“Carly’s Law” was the result of a 10-year campaign by Ms Ryan in honour of her daughter, who was groomed and murdered by online predator Gary Francis Newman.
The law was passed by Federal Parliament just a month prior to the man’s arrest.
He is also charged with one count of using a carriage service to “groom” persons under 16 years of age and breaching his reporting obligations.
The man is further charged with multiple counts of accessing, possessing and transmitting child exploitation material
The offences are alleged to have occurred at Cockatoo Valley between March 26 and July 24 this year, and between July 19 and 24 this year.
The man was arrested at his home on July 25 when a joint AFP/SA Police task force executed three search warrants, seizing two mobile phones and one laptop computer.
Georgina Venn, for the man, told the court on Wednesday her client would not be applying for bail. Magistrate Teresa Anderson remanded him in custody to face the Adelaide Magistrates Court in October.