Alleged child abuser, 81, arrested at airport

An 81-year-old man allegedly used CB radios to ‘lure’ young boys in his care. He was arrested at Sydney Airport for alleged sexual abuse.

Richmond Police District detectives have charged a man following a six-year investigation into alleged sexual and indecent assaults of children.

An elderly man has been arrested at Sydney airport over the alleged sexual abuse of teenage boys in his care, who he lured with radios in the early 1980s.

The 81-year-old was arrested as he arrived on a flight from the Philippines about noon on Saturday.

Richmond Police District detectives charged the man following a six-year investigation.

The 81-year-old man was arrested for alleged sexual and indecent assaults of children in the state’s Northern Rivers region more than 30 years ago.

Police said his arrest followed a six-year investigation into allegations of sexual and indecent assaults of children at a boys’ home near Lismore and other locations in the Mullumbimby area in the early 1980s.

It will be alleged in court the man sexually and indecently assaulted two teenage boys in his care in the Northern Rivers region between 1980 and 1983.

He has been charged with two counts each of buggery and attempted buggery, along with procuring an act of indecency, assault, and indecent assault of a male.

Detectives established Strike Force Kruseana to investigate the allegations.

The 81-year-old man was arrested as he arrived at Sydney International Airport on a flight from the Philippines on Saturday.

The man was taken to Mascot Police Station and charged with buggery (two counts), attempt buggery (two counts), procure act of indecency, assault, and indecent assault of male.

Police will allege the man would fix and play with radios and electronic equipment within the Mullumbimby area and would “entice” the boys to come and do that with him.

“I think it sends a strong message, to even those people now that would do bad things to children, that years and years may go by but the police will eventually take action if they receive the information,” Detective Chief Inspector Cameron Lindsay told reporters in Ballina on Sunday.

Detectives are urging those who lived at the home in the early 1980s to come forward.

“We believe that there would be more victims that could come forward now,” Insp Lindsay said.