Troy Robert William Cridland stands trial at Lismore charged with multiple child sex abuse offences
A former Northern Rivers police officer is on trial accused of having sexual intercourse with a teenage girl, allegedly performing sexual acts in his police car and at a police station.
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A former Northern Rivers cop is on trial accused of having sexaul intercourse with a teenage girl, allegedly performing sexual acts in his police car and at a police station.
Troy Robert William Cridland, 31, appeared at Lismore District Court today before a jury of 12 for the first day of his trial.
He has been charged with multiple counts of aggravated sexual intercourse with a child aged between 14 and 16.
Cridland is also accused of using a child to create child abuse material, and of asking the complainant’s mother to give false evidence to a police investigation.
The former senior constable has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The crown will allege Cridland had sexual intercourse with the teenage girl in his police car on multiple occasions, and at a police station on at least one occasion between March and August of 2020 while he was a police officer in a Northern Rivers town near Lismore.
The crown will bring evidence of DNA that it will argue is “almost certain” to be that of the complainant’s found on a mattress inside a tent in the police station’s garage.
Cridland is further accused of receiving graphic sexual photos from the girl, and sending “dick pics” through social media platform Snapchat.
However the alleged graphic photos could not be recovered as evidence.
“He wanted photographs of her,” the crown prosecutor told the jury.
“He attempted to involve the complainant in the production of child abuse material.”
The crown will argue on the occasions Cridland allegedly had sexual intercourse with the girl he had authority over her due to his role in the community as a police officer.
The crown will also argue he had sexual encounters with the girl while he was on shift as a police officer on at least one occasion.
CCTV footage will also be played in court of Cridland speaking to the complainant and her mother outside the police station - which the crown will argue is Cridland asking the mother to make a false statement to police.
Cridland’s barrister Simon Apps said there was evidence that would cast “significant doubt” on the accusation that Cridland knew the girl was younger than 16.
Cridland does not deny having sexual dealings with the complainant, but Mr Apps will argue Cridland did not meet the complainant in his role as a police officer.
Mr Apps told the jury the trial would be “a bit like watching a movie - a thriller” and when they heard the circumstances of how Cridland and the complainant met, they would say “we didn’t see that coming”.
Cridland was arrested in early December 2021 after investigations into alleged reports of misconduct by the former policeman attached to the Northern Region.
Cridland was granted bail on December 21, 2021 after his legal team successfully argued “threats” were made against him in custody.
The former officer 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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