William Arthur Mareko faces Mackay court on child sex charges
The man faces a stack of child sex related charges including allegedly grooming children overseas to engage in sexual activities with adults.
Police & Courts
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A Townsville man has been accused of using online streaming services to procure minors for sexual activities outside of Australia along with a string of other child sex offences.
Kirwan resident Willie Arthur Mareko is charged with eight counts of procuring a child to engage in sexual activity outside of Australia between April 24, 2018, and October 28, 2021, while he was living at Yulara near Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.
The 35 year old is further charged with three counts of using a carriage service for child abuse material, grooming a child to engage in sexual activity outside Australia, two counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity with another person, and possessing or controlling child abuse material obtained or accessed using a carriage service.
Then while Mr Mareko visited the Whitsundays in 2021, police added more charges against him.
This includes two counts of using a carriage service for child abuse material on October 1, 2021, and a further count of the same charge on October 5.
Mr Mareko’s case came before Mackay Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service solicitor Robin Cathcart, who appeared on behalf of Phillip Moore, asked Magistrate James Morton for a three week adjournment.
Ms Cathcart said new matters were handed to Mr Moore, who was currently on leave, and he needed time to talk with his client.
Mr Morton adjourned the case to November 8 for a committal mention in Magistrate Damian Dwyer’s court and excused Mr Mareko’s appearance.
Mr Mareko has been kept in custody on remand.
Under commonwealth criminal law, child abuse offences carry a maximum penalty of 15 years in jail.
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