St George Netball Association president charged with sexual touching

The outgoing president of a junior netball association south of Sydney has been charged with child sex offences.

The outgoing president of a junior netball association south of Sydney has been charged with sexually touching three girls.

Peter Albert Crawford, the 70-year-old president of the St George District Netball Association, was arrested at 11.30am Friday at Kogarah Police Station.

The NSW Police Child Abuse Squad this morning announced Crawford, a “former netball coach”, had been charged with eight counts of intentionally sexually touch child (between 10 and 16) and attempt to intentionally sexually touch child (between 10 and 16 years).

The former netball coach has been charged with child sex offences.

“Police will allege in court that the man sexually touched three teenage girls – then aged between 12 and 15 – at netball courts in Sydney’s south between March 2019 and September 2020,” the police statement said.

The investigation, codenamed Strike Force Biscoe, began in October and included a search of a Beverly Hills address following his arrest on Friday, where a number of documents were seized by officers.

Crawford appeared in Sutherland Local Court in the hours after he was arrested and was released on conditional bail by a magistrate.

Police say the alleged offences were committed on girls aged between 12 and 15.

He must not go within 300m of an organised netball event while on bail and must comply with a provisional personal violence order taken out by police.

The netball association’s website lists Crawford as its committee president in 2020. The association announced on social media this month a new committee and president had been elected for 2021.

Crawford is due to reappear at Sutherland Local Court on January 19.