School teacher Bradley van Praag, 43, allegedly drugged teen boy before sex assault in northwest NSW

A school teacher has been refused bail as he faces a raft of child sex charges, including allegedly drugging and raping a teen, and possessing child abuse material.

A school teacher has been charged after allegedly drugging and then sexually assaulting a teen in the state’s northwest.

Bradley van Praag, 43, was arrested late last month following an 18-month investigation by the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad into an alleged sex assault on a 14-year-old boy.

Police allege the attack occurred in 2023 in the Tamworth region, while Mr van Praag was working in the area.

It is alleged that Mr van Praag “used a substance to drug” the boy before sexually assaulting him.

Two months later, detectives launched their investigation into the incident before arresting him in January this year, while he was living in Windsor in Sydney’s northwest.

Bradley van Praag, 43, has been charged with allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting a child in Quirindi. Picture: Supplied

In a statement, NSW Police said they initially carried out a search warrant on Mr van Praag’s home before charging him with two counts of aggravated sexual assault — with a victim under the age of 16 years.

He faced Penrith Local Court on Wednesday, January 29 where he was formally refused bail and remanded in custody.

In the weeks since, detectives have forensically examined two mobile phones and a laptop found during the search of Mr van Praag’s home.

That resulted in them this week laying five additional charges against Mr van Praag relating to child abuse material.

He was charged with two counts of possessing/controlling child abuse material, and three counts of using a carriage service to solicit child abuse material.

Mr van Praag remains on remand, with his next court appearance set for March 26.