Children’s author Oliver Phommavanh hit with more sexual grooming charges

A children’s author, accused of sexually grooming a girl online, has been hit with charges for the third time this year, taking the total number of alleged offences to seven.

Children’s author Oliver Phommavanh leaves Parramatta Local Court, where he faced fresh charges on Friday.

A former schoolteacher and prominent children’s author has been hit with more online child grooming charges.

Oliver Phommavanh, 41, was arrested at his Old Guildford house in May, when he was charged with using a carriage service to groom a child under 16 for sex and using a carriage service to procure a child under 16 for sexual activity.

Those offences allegedly occurred between 2019 and 2024.

At the time of Phommavanh’s arrest, detectives released a statement alleging he had “used his position as a children’s author to engage inappropriately with children online”.

This masthead previously revealed Phommavanh had been accused of sending inappropriate photos and videos in two separate interactions – one with a girl known only as ‘LK’ and the second with someone he allegedly believed to be a 13-year-old girl.

It is understood the latter turned out to be an undercover police officer.

Detectives arrest Oliver Phommavanh in May. Picture: NSW Police

The 41-year-old author has since been granted bail. Picture: NSW Police

After being granted bail, he was charged in August with another offence of using a carriage service to groom a person under 16, relating to allegations he inappropriately communicated with a second child, “KC”, between June 2022 and December 2023.

Then, when he faced Parramatta Local Court on Friday, he was hit with four more charges.

They were using a carriage service to groom a person under 16 for sex, using a carriage service to engage in sexual activity with a child, using a carriage service to send indecent material to a person under 16, and attempting to use a carriage service to engage in sexual activity with a child.

These alleged offences, again relating to “LK” and an undercover police officer, allegedly occurred between 2019 and May this year.

Police allege in court documents Phommavanh communicated with the minor “with the intention of making it easier to procure the recipient to engage in sexual activity”.

The new charges also allege Phommavanh twice thought he was communicating with a child and sending indecent material to a person under 16, when he was in fact communicating with an undercover police officer.

Oliver Phommavanh’s case is due to return to court in February.

Wearing a surgical mask, Phommavanh faced court with his lawyer on Friday for a brief mention.

The case was adjourned to February 7.

Phommavanh is yet to enter any pleas.

Under the conditions of his bail, he is banned from using the internet, must stay away from people under 18 and cannot enter schools or places frequented by children, including playgrounds and parks.

The well-known author and comedian, who left his profession as a teacher to write children’s books, has penned several, including Thai-riffic!, Con-nerd, The Other Christy, Natural Born Loser and What About Thao?

Phommavanh’s Facebook page shows he was visiting schools and libraries around western Sydney as recently as a week before his arrest, conducting author talks and writing workshops.