Former Northern Rivers police officer Troy Robert William Cridland on trial after pleading not guilty to sex with underage girl
A police officer on trial in Lismore after pleading not guilty to having sex with a teen girl told a court he met her on Tinder and thought she was of legal age.
Police & Courts
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An ex-Northern Rivers police officer on trial charged with having sex with a teen, including at a police station, says he met the girl on Tinder and thought she was of legal age.
However, the girl claims a fake account on the 18-plus app was made in her name.
Mr Cridland is accused of performing sexual acts in his police car and at a station with the underage girl between March-August of 2020 – while a police officer in a Northern Rivers town near Lismore.
The 31-year-old has pleaded not guilty to all charges against him.
The Crown alleges Mr Cridland met the girl when she was 14, crossing paths with him while he was an officer.
The Crown tendered evidence of DNA allegedly found on a mattress in a tent in a police station garage, linked to Mr Cridland and the complainant.
Mr Cridland has not denied having ”sexual dealings” with the alleged victim, claiming they met through the dating app. Tinder’s terms and conditions require users to be aged 18 or older.
The Crown alleged in court the girl’s mother would drop her off and Mr Cridland would drive her to isolated places in his police car.
Mr Cridland’s barrister Simon Apps revealed during cross examination of an investigating detective there was no “geo-tracking” to place Cridland at the alleged spots.
It’s also alleged Mr Cridland asked the girl’s mother to make a false statement to police.
The Crown submitted CCTV footage showing Mr Cridland outside a station with the girl and her mother, allegedly attempting to pervert the course of justice.
Police became aware of Mr Cridland’s alleged involvement with the girl when an officer, a senior constable, seized her phone during an unrelated investigation, the court heard.
Police allegedly uncovered texts and WhatsApp messages between them deemed of “concern”. No replies from Mr Cridland were observed.
Mr Cridland allegedly only replied to the girl on Snapchat. She told investigators: “We just talk on Snapchat and he sent me d--k pics.”
The investigating senior constable created an incident report on the messages on July 28, 2020.
It is not disputed Mr Cridland used a police terminal and accessed the report on the day.
The officer told the court Tinder was not present on the girl’s phone during his investigations.
The girl told police she never made a Tinder account and someone had made a profile in her name in 2020, representing her as 18.
Mr Apps argued there was concerns the allegedly fake Tinder account was only reported by the investigating senior constable in June 2021.
The court heard efforts had been made to get more information to resolve “the Tinder issue”.
But the United Stated company does not have a physical presence in Australia and is outside of NSW Courts’ jurisdiction.
Mr Cridland is charged with seven counts of aggravated sexual intercourse with a child between 14-16 years old.
He has also been charged with one count each of an aggravated sexual act with a child between 10-16 years old, sexual act with a child between 10 and 16 years old, using a child over 14 years old to make child sexual abuse material, and perverting the course of justice.
The trial continues.
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