Xinmeng Zhou, 43, of Cranebrook, charged with trying to line up sex with 15-year-old northern beaches’ girl
A middle-aged courier driver from western Sydney has been caught up in a police sting for allegedly trying to groom a 15-year-old northern beaches’ girl for sex.
Manly
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A middle-aged courier driver from western Sydney has been caught in a police sting for allegedly trying to line up an underage girl on the northern beaches for sex.
Xinmeng Zhou, 43, of Cranebrook, thought he was in contact with a 15-year old girl and had allegedly set out to meet up with her at Manly in January.
But Manly Local Court was told that Mr Zhou, who is a self-employed courier with his own van, was allegedly grooming a fictitious teenager created by detectives at Parramatta.
He has been charged with one count each of groom child under 16 years and over 14 years for unlawful sexual activity; travel to meet child groomed for sexual activity and; use carriage service to procure person under 16 years and over 14 years for sexual activity.
Mr Zhou is yet to enter a plea.
Documents tendered to court on May 31 during Mr Zhou’s application to be released on bail, alleged that between 12pm and 1pm on January 21 he “engaged in conduct that exposed indecent material to a fictitious child”.
Police will allege he did this with the “intention of making it easier to procure the child for sexual activity”.
It will also be alleged that between 10am and 1pm on January 21, Mr Zhou travelled to Manly to meet the “fictitious child” who had been “groomed for illegal sexual activity”.
He also allegedly used a communication device to contact a 15-year-old girl “with the intention of procuring the recipient to engage in sexual activity”, according to court papers.
Police opposed bail on the grounds that Mr Zhou could be a danger to other young people in the community if released from custody.
Magistrate Ian Guy granted him bail on the condition that he surrender his passport, a responsible person lodge a cash surety of $1000 to ensure he turns up for court, and that he report to Penrith police station three times a week.
Mr Zhou’s case will be mentioned in the Downing Centre Local Court on July 23.
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