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Third man arrested in child exploitation investigation that’s led to charges against Ben Waters and Stewart Berry

Another alleged child abuser has been charged in an expanding probe involving an HIV-positive paedophile, an ex-MP’s adviser and a senior Corrections officer.

SA Labor staffer arrested and charged with child sex abuse

A man closely linked to a senior Correctional Services officer facing serious child exploitation charges has been arrested and charged with the same offending.

The charges against the northern suburbs man come eight weeks after the Port Lincoln officer, Stewart Berry, and former political staffer Ben Waters were arrested by detectives attached to the SA Police/Federal Police Joint Anti Child Exploitation Taskforce.

In the latest arrest the man, aged in his 30s, has been charged with eight counts of producing child exploitation material. He has been given police bail and will appear in Adelaide Magistrates Court next month.

The three arrests stem from the major investigation into HIV-positive paedophile Jadd William Brooker, who is still before court on more than 40 charges.

While the identity of the latest man charged cannot be revealed until his court appearance, he is closely linked to Berry, who was last week granted home detention bail in Port Augusta Magistrates Court.

Ben Waters, an ex-MP adviser on child exploitation charges, leaves Adelaide Magistrates Court. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Morgan Sette
Ben Waters, an ex-MP adviser on child exploitation charges, leaves Adelaide Magistrates Court. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Morgan Sette

Berry, 37, of Salisbury Park, has yet to plead to two counts of producing child exploitation material, one count of indecent filming, one count of aggravated possession of child exploitation material and one count of disseminating child exploitation material.

When detectives searched Berry’s Salisbury Park home they found covert video cameras – and video files showing him operating that camera filming adults and babies at that address.

Berry and Waters, a former adviser to Labor MP Nat Cook, were simultaneously arrested by JACET detectives in March.

Waters, 38, was released on bail last month and is living just 400m from a West Hindmarsh school.

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He is facing charges including one count of producing child abuse material through a carriage service, two counts of aggravated possession of child exploitation material and two counts of possession of child exploitation material.

Waters had been working Ms Cook’s senior adviser since 2019 and has worked across several Labor MPs’ offices as an adviser for the past decade. He worked as a campaigner in London for the UK Labour Party for 3½ years until returning to Adelaide in 2019. He has been sacked and expelled from the ALP.

Waters will face court again in July while Berry will face court again in November.

Original URL: https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts-sa/third-man-arrested-in-child-exploitation-investigation-thats-seen-charges-against-ben-waters-and-stewart-berry/news-story/95a09509e686966e5635ca97069abd00